Charmed as a Bleeding Rose
by Allore NightShadow
Summary: Severus knows something is different about Ms.Granger; Hermione thinks Snape will always be the same. When Hermione begins to act strangely, Severus is chosen to help only to find that she is the centerpeice of something not quite mortal. HG SS
1. Ready

Disclaimer- Alright, I admit it, The Harry Potter Universe does NOT belong to me. I may have borrowed it, but I will give it back with the characters unharmed, If not completely sane. (When I get around to it.) 

I would also like to say that I really do like the criticism. I like to know what I do wrong in order to fix it. The complements are nice too. But the one thing I cannot stand is when someone reviews and says my work is bad or that I am a bad author, or generalizes me with the population of bad authors. If you don't like my work, that's okay, but it would be nice to know why. I'll tell you now that I resent flamers, I only ever got one and that person did wind up apologizing and giving me the best bit of criticism I've had, so please feel free to criticize.

Charmed as a Bleeding Rose

The title of this story has a very deep meaning, and I want to try and explain it to you a bit so that you have a better understanding of the story. Each part of my meaning will come into action somewhere in my story

Rose, itself, has a double meaning. In one scenario, the white rose, it represents the goddess, beautiful in one form forever, intriguing, yet nearly impossible to get near enough to understand. The goddess' form, I am talking about is Hermione, daughter of one of the most beautiful women ever known.

The other scenario, the black rose, is the beauty you must observe from afar, for every rose has its thorns and this rose is by far the most dangerous and the rarest. Unlike others that rot away, this rose stands powerful and prominent in all the dark days, alone perhaps, but strong, never giving in. Dark and mysterious he looms, allowing you close for a moment before his thorns pierce your very heart. But as your heart bleeds, as does his, for at the heart of this rose, lies another.

Now as I can't explain too much of this to you without giving away too much of the plot, I'll allow you to figure out the rest, but remember, in the title, look for double meaning, opposite meanings, and the things you wouldn't usually think of, and that may explain a good bit.

To begin . . .

Charmed as a Bleeding Rose

By: Allore NightShadow

Chapter 1

Hermione locked herself away in her books as she had done all her life. She was reading a muggle book called The Chronicles of Crestomanci, a very long novel, but not too hard. She had already finished all her homework for the next too weeks and she had studied so much that she was confident she could recite her notes down to the word.

Finishing up the book, Hermione placed the book down on her bedside table and raced to make it to Potions class directly before Professor Snape closed the door.

"Miss Granger, I would appreciate it if you would be on time. Ten points from Gryffindor and next time you are tardy, it'll be a detention." Sneered Professor Snape. "Now take a seat."

Hermione nodded her consent and moved as quickly as she could so that Professor Snape wouldn't decided to change his mind and give her the detention anyway.

Hermione found herself tripping over one of the Slytherin's feet, Goyle she assumed and then, right before she hit the ground, caught by another. Draco Malfoy. He let her go not two seconds later, but Hermione only fell a few inches so she didn't get hurt. She scrambled to pick up her books and, once she got them all, Hermione took her usual seat beside Harry and Ron, her face as red as Ron's hair was.

"Filthy Mudblood," She heard Draco Malfoy mumble. "Now I need to go burn my robes."

"Now that we can get started . . .by the way, 20 points to Slytherin for helping a fellow student" Severus Snape said to Draco.

And so Professor Snape begun with the lesson. Several times throughout the lesson, Hermione caught Draco Malfoy looking at her with confusion clearly written on his face, but he never said anything and looked away each time Hermione saw him. It was strange to see Draco Malfoy with any kind of emotion on his face, let alone confusion.

"Miss Granger! Pay attention in class! 20 points from Gryffindor and a detention. Keep it up and you'll be at my mercy for the rest of the week."

She got sympathy looks from everyone in Gryffindor, while the Slytherins merely smirked. They liked to see the Gryffindors pushed around by their head of house, Severus Snape.

Hermione actually had no idea what they were doing in class that day, and if not for the fact that Harry was actually paying attention and had his book open to the page with the instructions for the Atillamore potion, Hermione would have been completely lost.

"This potion that we will be working on today," Severus Snape begun. "Is a very temperamental potion. It will, if brewed correctly, send the drinker to were they will be or were they were, exactly 1 week from when the potion was brewed. The effect if taken before or after the week it is made is still not recorded. Since this is such a advanced potion, it will be destroyed after made, except for the one vile that will be tested by one person of each group six day after complete. The making of this potion should test your potion making skills to the maximum. Now please choose a partner and begin."

Hermione looked towards Harry and Ron too see that they were already paired off. The Fate's really had it out for her, Hermione decided, seeing that Neville Longbottem was the only Gryffindor not yet paired up. Hermione sighed before picking up her books and trudging over to sit next to Neville.

"Hi Hermione." He said.

"Hello Neville." Hermione said and placed her books out on the desk, then, not bothering to wait for Neville, went up to get the right amount of each potion ingredient. Who in their right mind would trust Neville to do that.

And so they began to work on the potion. Hermione managed to stop Neville from blowing up their cauldron four times, and still managed to finish the potion with perfect results.

Looking around, Hermione saw that their potion was a slightly deeper shade of blue than everyone else's.

"Neville, how much dragons blood did you put in here?" She asked.

"A teaspoon. . . I think" Hermione groaned in frustration.

When Professor Snape came around to inspect their potion, he stopped and looked a little closer at theirs, eyes drawn in concentration before shaking her head and moving on to Harry and Ron's potion.

By the end of the class Professor Snape had taken off 40 points from Gryffindor for the potions that were wrong and gave 50 points to Slytherin for the ones they got right.

"Once each group brings me a vile sample of their potion, class is dismissed." Professor Snape finally said. "And Miss Granger, I would like to see you before you leave."

Hermione filled two vials with the potion while Professor Snape wasn't looking, sliding one in her pocket and labeling the other before handing it to Neville to bring up to the Potions Master.

Hermione had learned over the years that the potions that they made in class would often come into use eventually, and even if they didn't have a use just yet, it would save a lot of work when or if it was needed. Plus, she wouldn't need to sneak into Snape's stores again, a very dangerous act in itself.

She waited until everyone left the class before she went up to Professor Snape's desk.

"Professor Snape?"

He looked at her, a dark look in his eyes. "You are to come down to my classroom directly after dinner in order to serve your detention. You are dismissed."

Hermione turned and hurried out of the room, and she hadn't gotten more than 2 yards away from the room before Harry and Ron fell into step beside her.

"What did that bat faced greasy git say?" Ron asked. Hermione looked at him and her disapproval showed on her face.

"Ron! Don't speak like that about a teacher. Professor Snape is brilliant, besides, all the brilliant ones have to have something wrong with them. Just look at Professor Dumbledore. He's a bit off in the head while Professor Snape has a . . . mood disorder, Depression, . . . something along those lines."

"But everyone thinks your brilliant and there's nothing wrong with you." Harry mentioned.

Then Ron decided to add his two cents. "What are you talking about Harry? You and me both know that no one is as bossy as Herm . . ." Ron stopped abruptly as Harry's hand found its was to the side of his head. "I mean that your absolutely right Harry! There is nothing wrong with our Hermione. Hermione, your theory must be wrong." Ron grinned sheepishly.

"Oh, shove it Ron. By the way, what were you doing meeting your girlfriend in a closet. You know the one near the Hufflepuff common room. I could have sworn I heard some groaning." Hermione was the one to grin now, as Ron turned as red as his hair, which is pretty darn red.

"Well, we were, um, you know, yea. He he he." He mumbled. That was about all he was able to get out.

The three made their way into the great hall and into their regular seats at the very end of the table. Hermione on one side, the side facing Slytherin Table and Harry and Ron on the other side.

Hermione ate her dinner, then rushed off to the library to take out 'Moste Potente Potions'. (Being the head girl, she was allowed access to the restricted section.) She put the book in her bag and ran off, only to make it to the dungeons about five minutes late.

She caught her breath and then knocked on the door to the potions classroom.

"Enter!" Said the voice that she knew so well, the voice of her teacher, and the person she most admired. (Not that she would ever let anyone know that.)

Hermione entered the room and put her things on the first desk before going to stand in front of Professor Snape.

"Miss Granger, your late." He stated.

"Yes, I know. I'm sorry Professor, I was in the library trying to get out a book and it took me a little longer than expected." Hermione said and gave a downcast look.

"May I ask what book it was that kept you from coming to your detention on time." It was more of a command than a request.

Hermione, being the obedient person she was, immediately took out the book and handed it to her professor.

Severus Snape looked at the book with a strange expression on his face, though he quickly covered it up. Nodding, he handed Hermione back the book.

"Don't expect to be excused from being late next time. I want you to organize my stores. There are already in alphabetical order and I want them to stay in that order. Take everything off the shelves on wipe them down, then as you put them back, replace any faulty labels and write a list of any supplies I am low on. I trust you can handle this?"

Hermione nodded and set to her task.

Severus Snape's private stores were even larger than she had first thought. She had a good chance to see all the ingredients in the stores. The re- labeling and writing what ingredients he was low on didn't take long at all, Hermione being a naturally organized person and all. Within an hour, Hermione was back in front of Professor Snape, asking what he wanted her to do for the rest of the detention.

Professor Snape thought about it. He didn't actually have anything planned, which was an oddity for him. Severus decided that it was time to take up the headmasters suggestion.

"Miss Granger please follow me." And Severus Snape stood up and swept out of the room.

It was so abruptly that he left that Hermione just stood staring for a moment. Then when she came to her senses, she ran out after Professor Snape, knowing that if she fell behind, she would most likely loose him.

Seeing his billowing black robes retread around a corner, Hermione raced to catch up. Severus Snape went deeper and deeper into the dungeons until he abruptly pulled to a halt, and Hermione, not having as good balance as she could have had, was unable to stop and went crashing forward.

Professor Snape moved out of Hermione's path as she fell, but at the last second, reached out, grabbed her and up righted her.

"Miss Granger, try and keep your balance. The task I am going to have you do is not a task to be taken lightly. Clumsiness will get you seriously injured. Understood?"

Hermione nodded meekly, already embarrassed by her behavior. She didn't see why she should be, seeing as falling and tripping were very common things, but Professor Snape had a way about him that made you regret even the smallest mistake.

Severus faced the painting he was standing in front of.

"I seek entrance." He said. A eerie voice replayed to him. "Password?"

"Obsidian Queen."

And the painting opened up to a very large, but empty room, with only a off white carpet covering the entirety of the floor. There were four doors leading off from the room. Severus went over and opened two of them.

One of the two rooms was filled with staffs, swords, knives of more sizes and materials imaginable. The other door had a much larger variety of weapons. Everything from blackjacks and clubs to chains and Chinese throwing stars.

"Miss Granger, I want you to clean each and every one of these weapons." Severus Snape said, purposely interrupting her thoughts.

"What?!" Hermione yelled. "That'll take forever!"

"And? Miss Granger, may I remind you that this is punishment for constant interruption and a wondering attention in my class. Perhaps this little job will teach you to focus."

Hermione grumbled about something or another.

"What was that?"

"Nothing."

"Good. Begin now. I shall come and inform you when you are able to leave." And Severus Snape swept out of the room. Hermione had to stifle a giggle. He looked incredible like a great big flapping bat as he walked out of the room.

Severus didn't leave right away. He wanted to test his theory. He waited and watched Hermione under cover of the shadows as she went into the first room and began to pick up and examine each weapon as she cleaned. He could tell that they intrigued her. It was exactly as he had hoped. He went back to his office for an hour and a half before going back to collect Hermione.

Hermione didn't even see Severus Snape come in, she was so into the work, but she jumped into the air as soon as he announced his presence.

"Miss Granger." He waited for her to put everything away before continuing. "I will. allow you to use these rooms when ever you have the need. For privacy if you so wish it. Through the other doors are a study and a bathroom." He pointed to the two remaining doors leading from the room. The he walked over and locked the two rooms with the weapons.

Hermione looked at Severus as if he was crazy. Why was he being so . . .so . . . nice wasn't the word. Cunning perhaps. That was probably it, he was setting her up for something

"Um, thanks Professor." She said uncertainly.

"When you leave, be sure to state your destination, otherwise you will end up in the headmaster's office, and I don't think he'll appreciate that." Severus waited for Hermione to get up and leave, but she seemed shell shocked, so he added another comment. "Miss Granger, if you insist not leaving, I shall be forced to give you another detention for being out after curfew."

That did it. Hermione blinked a few times and walked quickly toward the door. About to open it, Hermione remembered what Professor Snape had just said.

"Gryffindor common room." She stated, then opened the door.

It was as if she had just walked in from the Fat Lady's portrait. Looking around, Hermione realized that it was the Fat Lady's portrait. Somehow the door she left led her directly to this entrance. It was ingenious.

Ron looked up from his chess game. He was currently playing Seamus and beating him horribly.

"So Hermione" He said, moving his pawn to d4, "How was the greasy git. I'll beat him up for you, just give me a reason." He grinned, then moved his knight.

"Check Mate." He stated, then turned back to Hermione.

"Ron, you couldn't beat up a ferret." Hermione said. Then she began to walk up the steps towards the Head Girls room.

"Hey, I resent that! It's not my fault they bite!" Ron yelled at Hermione's retreating back. Seconds later, he heard the door to the head girls room close behind Hermione.

Allore NightShadow

A/N- Well what do you think? Good start or not? I seriously want to know. Tell me anything you think I should change of if any of my characters are OOC. I will go back and change it to make the story better. All in all, I think this is a pretty good start.

Just let me point out that Draco Malfoy did have a personal reason for helping Hermione. All will be reveled latter.

By the way, I am looking for a beta reader, so if anyone is interested, please tell me so.

Please compliment or critique.


	2. Set

Disclaimer - Alright, I admit it, The Harry Potter Universe does NOT belong to me. I may have borrowed it, but I will give it back with the characters unharmed, If not completely sane. (When I get around to it.)  
  
A/N - I'm sorry for the hold up on this chapter, but I had a major snow storm in my area and the internet service wasn't working. And then my computer crashed. I would have posted three weeks ago, because my chapter was finished, but Alas, Fate decided to delay this departure.  
  
I would normally wait to post on a Friday, but if I don't put this up now, I'll take another two weeks, and I wont put you patient people through that.  
  
Charmed as a Bleeding Rose  
  
By: Allore NightShadow  
  
Chapter 2  
  
Hermione didn't return to that room for a long while, she almost forgot about it, not quite, but it was pushed to the back of her mind. It wasn't as important to remember as school work was, but then again, nothing was as important as school.  
  
Severus Snape was still as mean as ever, which she appreciated, he was a constant thing in a very inconstant life. The changes that every person went through when trying to discover themselves was just where Hermione was in life. She was trying to find out who she was and just what she was put on earth to do. Severus Snape, she thought, would always be the same in her life. Her teacher, the strong, dark and mysterious man who was virtually unbreakable.  
  
Hermione finished a rather long essay, only the first in a series of them due the next week. Her homework was piling up, not for lack of doing it, but just the fact that there was so much of it. Hermione was used to everything coming easy. She would only read a text once and easily memorize it, finished essays quickly, but now she was having to reread all of her texts for the information she was looking for and it took her quite a few copies to get the essays how she wanted them. It was as if she was loosing her mental capacity. Not literally, of course.  
  
Her head hurt. Hermione hadn't slept for almost 72 hours and she wasn't willing to miss classes to catch up on her rest. She eluded Harry's constant concern, refusing to hear any of it.  
  
It was impossible for her to concentrate on what she was doing. Every time she read a book or wrote an essay her mind strayed. She didn't know what her mind was searching for, but what ever it was, it was missing. Her nerves were strained beyond belief. Her head hurt. She was dizzy, impossibly dizzy.  
  
Hermione steadied herself and made her way into the library, completely skipping lunch and not bothering to rest during her afternoon break. She wasn't hungry, besides, Hermione didn't think her stomach would hold down the food.  
  
Hermione tried to concentrate on finding a book to complete her transfiguration essay, but once again, found herself unable to get through the book. Giving up the hope of finishing her transfiguration essay that day, Hermione took her books and left for the dungeons.  
  
She found herself making her way to the entrance to the room Professor Snape had brought her to earlier in the week.  
  
"I seek entrance." She said, and when the voice asked for the password, she said "Obsidian Queen."  
  
She entered the rooms, and looked around. Her dizziness and lack of concentration seemed to temporarily leave her. Opening one of the two doors she hadn't already seen, Hermione found a very large study. There was a mahogany desk with a large black chair, a bookcase that was currently empty, a couch and a fireplace. There was another door inside this room, and upon further investigation, Hermione found it lead directly into the library.  
  
Hermione then checked the fourth door that led from the main room. It was a bedroom, a huge navy blue bed, a mahogany wardrobe, and a small table beside the bed. There were two doors leading off from this room. One turned out to be another bedroom, smaller and with a door that led back to the main room, the other led to a large bathroom, as big as the perfects bathroom, but with two additional showers. The bathroom also had a door that led to the main room.  
  
Suddenly Hermione found herself weighed down with exhaustion, and suddenly fell over to lay soundly on the larger bed. She was unconscious, in a deep sleep that was very dangerous.  
  
~//~  
  
When Professor Snape found Hermione missing from his class with her two . . . 'friends', having no idea where she was, he was worried. As far as he knew, Hermione Granger would never skip a class, and the fact that she was missing bothered him.  
  
When Severus Snape found out later, from Minerva McGonagall, that Hermione was also missing from Transfiguration and Charms, he immediately went to the headmaster. The staff was placed on high alert, and despite all their efforts, Hermione simply couldn't be found.  
  
It was quite a while later that Severus remembered the 'Obsidian' rooms. He would bet, without a doubt, that she was there. Besides, since she couldn't be outside of the school grounds without the headmaster being notified, which he hadn't, and each teacher had checked a section of the school, the Obsidian rooms were the last sensible place she could possibly be. Being that no one other that Severus Snape and Albus Dumbledore (and Hermione, now) knew of the rooms, it was no wonder why, he hadn't thought of it before.  
  
Severus didn't really know why he had permitted her to use those rooms, but she did need to be trained, and it was an easy way for Severus to gain her trust. Hermione was a liability to their side, and if one looked closely enough, they could see where her search for knowledge may take her to the dark side. That was unacceptable, besides, if she ever did turn, it would give a definite advantage to the dark side. Hermione simply knew too much. While Hermione was able to work some of the most difficult charms, she wasn't very powerful, anyone could see that, and that would be her undoing. She could be easily overcome and broken.  
  
Severus made his way into the Obsidian rooms, but instead of walking all the way down into the dungeons, Severus simply stopped at the first painting that resided in a hall with no students and said, "I seek entrance to Obsidian Queen." And without further word, it opened and Severus walked into the rooms.  
  
Right away, he could see that Hermione had been in the rooms. While the weapon rooms were still firmly closed and locked, both of the other two doors were open.  
  
Severus immediately went to the door that led into the bedroom, and sure enough, there was Hermione laying on the bed. It looked as if she had just fell there, the way she was sprawled on the bed.  
  
"Miss Granger?" He said, quite loudly. Hermione did not even stir.  
  
"Miss Granger?" He said again, walking even closer. When she didn't move, he got worried.  
  
Touching her slightly, he was able to deduce that she was merely sleeping, though very deeply. It seemed magic induced, but upon further investigation, he found no evidence of a potion or spell placed upon her person. Severus then inspected Hermione, using various spells. He found traces of exhaustion and malnutrition, but nothing too dominant.  
  
Leaving the room, Severus said "Hospital wing office." And that was exactly where he ended up.  
  
"Oh, Severus, I didn't hear you come in. Do you need something?" Said Madame Pomfrey when she saw Severus walk in.  
  
Severus nodded slightly, but didn't answer. He walked into her storage closet and took three potions.  
  
"Poppy, Please inform Albus that I have found Miss Granger but she is in Obsidian and unconscious." Severus said.  
  
"Pardon me, Obsidian?" Poppy Pomfrey questioned.  
  
"It doesn't matter. Albus will know what I mean. And please tell him that I may miss my last class today, It's Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw 3rd years, so they shouldn't be too big of a problem." And he swept out of Madame Pomfrey's office like the overgrown bat that most think he is.  
  
Severus walked up to the painting directly across from the hospital wing entrance and said, "I seek entrance to Obsidian King." And the painting opened to admit him. This time, instead of opening up to the main room, it opened up to the main bedroom, the one Hermione was sleeping on.  
  
He went over and lifted her entirely on to the bed, then opened a vial of some light green concoction, and forced it in her mouth and made her swallow it. This potion took her out of the deep sleep (Alpha sleep) she was in and put her in a more safe and lighter sleep (delpha sleep).  
  
Hermione then turned in her sleep and burrowed deeper into the many pillows on the bed. Severus sighed in acceptance and went into the study to read. The moment he entered the study, the empty book shelf 'magically' filled with his books. Severus wasn't surprised at all, and merely took a book off the shelf. He then sat on the couch and prepared for a long wait.  
  
~//~  
  
Hermione found herself wake in a room she couldn't identify. It took a few moments before Hermione realized that she was in the Obsidian rooms. She just vaguely remembered falling onto the bed before she lost consciousness. She was awake now, she knew, but she didn't know how long she had been asleep. Hermione hoped it was only a couple of hours, she didn't want to have missed any classes.  
  
Standing up, Hermione performed an anti wrinkle charm on her crumpled clothes and walked into the main room. For some reason, Hermione found herself drawn to the weapon rooms by a power beyond her control. Opening one of the doors, a door she could have sworn she saw Professor Snape lock, Hermione picked up on of the lighter swords, judging its weight with her hand. Bringing the sword out into the main room with her, Hermione moved it around slowly, balancing the sword with her left hand on the blade, then moving it back to the hilt and swiping it across the room, leaving Hermione fascinated with the sound of the blade cutting through the air.  
  
Hermione continued experimenting with the sword, occasionally dropping it when her hands moved to fast for her instincts to catch up.  
  
~//~  
  
Severus Snape woke up from the loud clatter of the book he was reading, falling to the floor. How had he fallen asleep? Oh well, it didn't really matter, Severus often found himself falling asleep as he read, though it was usually in his own chambers that he did this. Searching through his memory to remember why he was there, Severus stood up to go and check if Hermione was awake.  
  
Walking out of the study, Severus froze. There was Hermione Granger handling a sword as if she had been all her life, it was an amazing sight. She moved slow, yet swiftly. He might have an easier time working with her than he thought.  
  
Severus saw Hermione picking up in speed and watched in silent fascination. Suddenly Hermione's hand seemed to stop responding to her minds commands and she just . . . fell. Severus was about to go out and help her up when she got up again and started again. He could have sworn she had dropped from exhaustion, but she had just gotten up again, perfectly fine.  
  
Strange.  
  
That was not the behavior of someone who was exhausted, for which she had all the signs. Plus, she would have just woken up.  
  
Severus shook off these strange thoughts and continued to watch Hermione. She continually did something that tripped her up as soon as she started to get it. Agenst his better judgement, Severus silently walked up behind Hermione and put his arms around her, his hands being placed over hers as he helped her continue what she was doing. She was a natural, something told him from the back of his mind.  
  
~//~  
  
Hermione was scared out of her mind when she felt someone come up behind her and put their hands on top of hers, helping her to move more smoothly without her constant slip up.  
  
"You're getting tense." Said the familiar voice of Professor Snape. " move with me, let my movements guide yours."  
  
Hermione visibly relaxed, she thought that Professor Snape was going to get mad at her for being in the room, even though he had allowed her to come himself. Either that or get mad at her for using the weapons. She had a feeling that he didn't want her to use the weapons, even though she had access to the rooms. She was relieved that he seemed not at all angry, but rather, it seemed as if she was meant to find those rooms. She knew that her professor had something up his sleeve, she just wasn't sure what it was yet.  
  
Hermione enjoyed the firm presence of Severus Snape behind her, it kept her hands from inadvertadly dropping the sword and she found her hands moving in new patterns.  
  
It could not have been more than one or two minutes later that Severus tugged the sword out of Hermione's hands, then walked off to clean it off with a towel from the bathroom before placing it back where it had came from.  
  
"Now Miss Granger, sit."  
  
Now Hermione, who had already looked through the room knew there was no chair. She decided to pose her question.  
  
"Whe- . . ." She stopped mid sentence when two chairs materialized in the middle of the room. Not bothering to question him, she obediently did as she was told, walking over to the seats, choosing the one to her left, and sitting down.  
  
Severus came over in three strides and took the chair across from Hermione. And handed her two vials. One was labeled as a strength reviver and the other was labeled as a potion to burn out any illnesses or disease.  
  
"Miss Granger, I would like to take it upon myself to further train you, both in physical and magical aspects. We, that is Professor Dumbledore and myself, feel that you . . . need the extra training. I would guide you in wand magic, battle magic, physical fighting, and possibly wand less magic."  
  
Hermione was about to accept. To learn all those new things would be fascinating, but Severus seemed to sense this.  
  
"Miss Granger, be under no presumption that I am a nice person. This will be hard work, taxing on you mind, body, and most likely your magical reserves. You will get hurt and you will be tired. If you don't think you have the . . . courage or will to do this, I bid you to decline now and save me the time of working a helpless case. When I do things, I go all the way. Understand?" He paused for a moment before continuing.  
  
"You should be fine to go back to classes tomorrow. After dinner, come to these rooms and leave me with your decision. If you choose yes, be ready to start training, if no, I will think no less of you than I already do. Now leave, go sleep in your own bed. Burning disease from you body should make you tired. And be ready to provide me with your answer directly after dinner, I will stand for no dawdling."  
  
Severus stood up and waited for Hermione to do the same before he made the two chairs disappear. Going to the exit, Severus said "Gryffindor House, sixth year dormitories. Miss Hermione Granger's room." And then he opened the door and allowed Hermione to pass.  
  
Hermione did so and found herself walking in to her room, too tired to be as surprised at her way of travel as she was before. She laid down in her bed and fell asleep before her head hit the pillow.  
  
~//~  
  
When Hermione woke up the next morning and went into the common room, only two be bombarded by Harry and Ron.  
  
"Hermione, where were you yesterday? All the professors were out looking for you. We were worried." Said Harry.  
  
"Don't worry about it. I was fine." She continued to brush off their concerns. Until they gave up. Harry and Ron silently agreed to find out later what had happened to Hermione. It wasn't smart to press something that Hermione didn't want to talk about.  
  
"Harry, what day it?" Hermione asked. She received a strange look from Harry.  
  
"Friday, why?" Hermione was beginning to worry him. She never forgot anything, let alone the day of the week, because that would mean she didn't know what classes she had that day, and that was unacceptable.  
  
"Oh, no reason. Just wondering." Once again she skirted the subject. Both Harry and Ron could tell that something was off with Hermione, but it seemed that over night they had learned some tact, and they decided to leave it be for a while.  
  
"By the way, Ron, you have some dirt on your nose." Hermione snickered to herself as Ron raced off to look in a mirror.  
  
"Hermione . . ." Harry warned.  
  
"What?" She said innocently, and before Harry had the chance to respond, she raced out of the portrait and into the Great Hall, only to eat the most food she had all week.  
  
After eating, and somehow avoiding Harry and Ron, Hermione went to advanced Arithmancy, and since she was so far ahead of everyone else, Hermione took that time to think about Professor Snape's offer.  
  
He had offered to train her. Hermione knew how physically taxing that would be, and since she had never been that athletic, she didn't know how much strain it would put on her. The discipline would be nice, but seeing as it was Professor Snape who was to be applying that discipline, she was afraid it would be too much. But she would learn so much extra.  
  
He insulted her, she just realized. He had said that if she didn't do this, that she didn't have the courage or will, that she would be a helpless case. He said this, not in so many words, but he said it all the same. She'd show him, she decided. Hermione Granger did not accept insults and just stand back.  
  
By the end of the period, Hermione had decided that she would accept Professor Snape's offer, if only to show him that she wasn't going to take anything laying down, not from Severus Snape or anyone else.  
  
End of Chapter 2.  
  
~Allore NightShadow~  
  
I know Severus is a bit out of character here, but I was trying to show that when around Hermione, he is not completely in control of his actions, not because of a already current infatuation, but because of a higher power, one more powerful than him.  
  
The next chapter will be pretty much completely all Severus and Hermione interaction.  
  
Thanks to all my reviewers:  
  
sane-devil-pearlgirl - My first reviewer! I Love you! Yea, it is strange that Snape is nice, but I tried to fix that.  
  
Liesel - I have fixed my spelling.  
  
Not sure yet - Interesting? hmm? I like interesting things.  
  
Becka - I did something right! I am so proud. The interaction between Hermione and Ron took forever.  
  
Jenthewriter - Intrigued is good, I think.  
  
Rosmerta - I hope this answered your first question, the second will be answered in it's own time.  
  
M0r1ath - Another intrigued person. I'm so happy! By giving her access to the weapons, he is placing a trust in her that she most likely wont take advantage of, or I don't think she will.  
  
Lady Snape - I'll talk to you in a few chapters about beta-ing, and I'll look out for homonyms.  
  
Eternal Queen - I went back and fixed my spelling mistakes. As to your other comment, abruptness is part of human nature.  
  
Patatita (delrio@intop.net) - Everybody loves Snape, and if they don't, they must be crazy, or (gasp!) normal ::shudders::  
  
Caroline - I'm writing, I'm writing.  
  
Once again, thanks to everyone who reviewed and also a thanks to you people who didn't review, but read.  
  
Please compliment or criticize.  
  
~Allore NightShadow~ 


	3. Go!

I'm sorry for stopping this story for so long, but I honestly didn't believe that I would ever start writing it again. I began with another and another, and eventually I stopped writing all together in what could be called chronic writer's block. I then begun writing again a few months ago and was afraid if I started writing something else, I would stop my original one. I'm not sure if my writing style is the same and I really don't have time to go back and re-write my other chapters. I hope I can start up on a story that I had long since stopped. Please tell me if my writing style seems a but different, and if so, whether it is better of worse.  
  
Title: Charmed as a Bleeding Rose  
  
By: Allore NightShadow  
  
Chapter 3  
  
*//*  
  
Hermione was about to turn from the dining hall when Harry abruptly stopped her with a hand to her shoulder.  
  
"Hermione, where are you going?" There was concern apparent in Harry's voice and with it, Hermione was able to hear the question that he was too polite to ask just yet. 'What's wrong? Did something happen?'  
  
She felt horrible lying to Harry, but she knew he would believe her. He was so trusting.  
  
"I'm dong a project for Professor Snape. He told me to be in the potions room promptly after the meal. You know him Harry, a minute early and you're still late." A short laugh for effect.  
  
"Hermione, why would you volunteer to spend extra time with that greasy git? I think that the classes we have to go to are already too much time." His hand slid off of Hermione's shoulder then, as if the urgency to find out what was happening had left him, and he began walking.  
  
"Harry, where are you going?" She expected him to be stuffing his face on the deserts along with Ron. (It was a wonder they were both still so thin.)  
  
"Why, walking you down to the dungeons. You need a little bit of comic relief before being subjected to the bat." A wink and a slight push from Harry into the wall were all she received before he ducked away.  
  
"Harry! You know better than to disregard a teacher's authority like that, especially in front of the Headgirl. I could report you."  
  
She received a skeptical look for her efforts. "Sure you will Hermione. Shall I walk you to the headmaster instead so that you may report me immediately." He stopped walking and began going the other way.  
  
"Oh, shut up, Harry!" Hermione grabbed his sleeve and started dragging him in their original direction again.  
  
"But really, Herm," A warning look and he replaced the nickname that she so hated with her full name, "Hermione." He stressed her name, making it seem longer and more complex than it really was. "You know, I really don't understand why you don't let anyone call you by a nickname. Anyway, I really don't see why you are committing yourself to egotistical suicide and years and years of stress management just to get an extra credit grade or something like that. Is school work really worth the years of muggle and magical therapy that this bloody stinking bat will cause you."  
  
Hermione glanced sideways at Harry. That level of thought was way beyond his normal thought pattern, and either he found out that he really found his long lost love the library, or he had been watching too much of the new novelty in the Weasley household that summer, the television. She said as much to Harry.  
  
"Fine. I heard it on a television program, but it is really true. We'll all need therapy before he gets though with us. Most of us already do. You know, I take it back, there really must be something wrong with all the brilliant ones if you are willing to subject yourself to this torture."  
  
"Thanks Harry."  
  
They walked the rest of the way to the potion's room in silence, only the faint echoing of their shoes upon the ground there to announce their presence in the snake's domain.  
  
Suddenly, Harry could have sworn that the already cold dungeons dropped another ten or so degrees.  
  
"Mr. Potter, I do not believe that I invited you accompany Miss Granger down here so I would advise you to leave post haste."  
  
Harry turned in dread and was not surprised to see Snape hovering over him with one of his oh so famous sneers in place.  
  
Not another word was exchanged between them before Harry scramble away, down the hallway from which he came.  
  
Severus Snape made no comment about Harry being there, he only walked begun walking away in long strides. Hermione had to nearly jog to keep up with him. It was another walk through the maze of corridors that was Hogwarts, but this time, Hermione was sure, they were not following the same path as last time he had taken her to the Obsidian Rooms. When Professor Snape stopped in front of a painting that was not the same as the first, Hermione was sure.  
  
"I seek entrance to Obsidian Queen." Professor Snape said, and the painting obediently opened to reveal the room.  
  
"Professor . . ." Hermione begun, not quite sure how to go about asking her question.  
  
Professor Snape turned and raised his eyebrows in a questioning way. "What is it, Miss Granger?"  
  
"These rooms . . . This is not the same way we came in before, but this is the same place. How can that be?"  
  
Professor Snape seemed to be waiting for a question like that.  
  
"Sit down, Miss Granger." He waited for Hermione to sit in one of the chairs that were once again in the center of the room before he closed the painting-turned-door and sat across from her. "First, I must know what your choice is. Are you willing to give up the majority of your leisure time to train under my eye? If you refuse, I'm afraid you will not be allowed entrance to this room again and your memory of this place will be wiped clean, but if you accept, Obsidian King will become your sleeping quarters and you will likely not see any of your friends for lengths of time. Next week, during Winter Break, you will also be required to stay here. What is your decision?"  
  
"I'll do it." There was no hesitation in Hermione's voice.  
  
Professor Snape held back a grin of triumph. It had worked. He had managed to pique her interest while keeping her from knowing nay better. Rather than to ask Hermione if she was sure, he didn't want her reconsidering, he just nodded his ascent and went on to answer her question.  
  
"Admirable, Miss Granger. To your previous question, this place is what you might call the heart of Hogwarts. Its size coincides with what the entrant needs. This place can be as small as a closet or bigger than the whole of Hogwarts, but it will only receive those who are both given permission from a previous entrant and if it decides them worthy, it will allow them entrance without supervision. This is the place that, if another classroom is needed or a bathroom in some deserted hallway, it will create it as if from nothing. That is why this is said to be the safest place in the world. This building can be changed at an instant if it is needed. It is the purest of the magic that you will find in our world, much like the raw emotions that caused strange things to happen around you in your youth. Do you understand me, Miss Granger?"  
  
Hermione really tried to understand him, and on some level she did, but logically, there couldn't be a room that was larger than Hogwarts itself. She shook her head to the negative.  
  
"Think of it this way, Ms. Granger. The foundation of Hogwarts is pure and simple magic. It can be anything its creator, or rather, its current master wants it to be. Isn't that what you have learned since you have joined out world? That you can make almost anything happen as long as it follows a few basic rules and even those can be bent. Hogwarts bends those rules to the breaking point."  
  
Hermione nodded in something akin to understanding. She didn't really understand, but she didn't think she needed to. Maybe it was better altogether if she didn't understand it, and just thought of it as Professor Snape had explained it; simply magic, not entirely meant to be explained.  
  
"Before we being on your first lesson, I would like you to drink this." Professor Snape pulled out a small clear bottle. "And this." He pulled out a bottle with a foggy substance inside. "And this." He pulled out what appeared to be the final bottle, this one containing a steel gray substance.  
  
Hermione looked at the three small bottles critically when Professor Snape handed them to her. When she looked at him questioningly, he only shot down the coming question with one of his icy looks. Not thinking about it, Hermione doused all three as quick as she could, not really noticing much taste in any of them.  
  
"What you just drank, Miss Granger, were diluted forms of Vetralism, Belladonna and arsenic."  
  
Hermione's eyes went wide. He had just given her the three substances that would be likely to do damage to her.  
  
"Do not worry, Miss Granger. They were very diluted and the Vertralism negates the toxic residues that arsenic could leave in your body. You may feel a little sluggish, but you had better get used to it because you will be taking a slightly more potent version of these substances every day to build up resistances and immunities."  
  
Hermione looked skeptical, but silently accepted what Professor Snape said. 'Diluted, huh? I had never thought of that. If he wants resistances, I'll give him resistances.' She silently vowed that she would spend that night researching different ways she could gain immunities to different substances. 'I'll show him coward.' She thought.  
  
"Now, I want you to run five laps around the castle. If you stop or slow to a walk, I want you to add two more rounds to your final requirement." Snape watched as Hermione opened her eyes widely. He knew she thought it was a lot, and yes, it was more that most could do, but if he pushed her to her limit and then beyond, doing what others though as normal would come as easy to her as walking.  
  
"Five?! Please tell me your joking, Professor Snape. That is impossible." The little rebellion that Hermione showed wasn't a good sign, but it would serve to remind her of why she was here.  
  
"Miss Granger, I was under the impression that you were willing to go beyond what you thought yourself able to do when you accepted this. This is only the beginning, Miss Granger, and you will do this because you gave your word. This is far from impossible, but if you are so narrow minded as to think it so, than you are better as Mister Potter's weakness. Once that was enough, to help him from behind, to teach him. I understand that he listened to you better than he would a professor. You are his friend and he understands you better than he does us, but what are you to do now, Miss Granger, that the war has come to a peak? Would you let him fall for you because you could not protect yourself against an attack? Could you live with yourself afterwards if he died because of you? I think you would rather help, and this is the only way you can help. You are in the path of the fighting, it will not be long before it has reached you. Do not think that I like Mister Potter, but he is said to be the fall of the dark lord. Whether that just means that he managed to strike the final blow out of luck or he fought the whole war himself is not said, but you know him better than I, myself do, how do you think he will end it? How did he defeat the Dark Lord before? And destiny can be deterred by death, you know. There is nothing that says that he cannot die before the prophecy takes place. You have the chance to be a credit to our side rather than the burden of yet another student to keep safe. You have the chance to take a firm stance on your beliefs."  
  
Hermione couldn't respond.  
  
"Now run! Ready, set, GO!"  
  
*//*  
  
A/N- Well, I tried. I hope that I'll be able to continue with this. I promise I'll try, but I can't say any more than that.  
  
Please tell me what you think. I don't seem to be straying and walking into the nothingness, do I?  
  
Please compliment, comment or critique.  
  
Allore NightShadow 


	4. Struggle for inner peace

Alrighty then. I have managed to convince myself to continue this fanfiction. I am very proud of myself and I can only hope that I will go on until it is done . . .I think I'm hoping for too much too much. Here is to hoping that my unfaithful hand might follow the will of my persistent mind. :: raises imaginary glass of soda and then unexpectedly walks into a wall even though I was sitting on my couch and far away from any walls:: ;; ::sweatdrops::

I'm really sorry for waiting so long to update, but I became unexpectantly sick and wasn't really able to do much of anything for nearly six months. Don't feel bad for me or send me your good wishes or anything, I'm fine now (or so I hope) but because I still need to go into the hospital periodically to see my doctor, my updating will be a bit slow for a while.

Okay, on with the spectacle…

Oh, and by the way…::achem:: Severus Snape, Hermione Granger, and all other characters portrayed in the copyrighted Harry Potter Series do no belong to me in any way, shape or form. I would, however, be willing to buy Snape if I wasn't the poor person that I am. If you're here to present me with any legal problems concerning money because of a supposed infringement on copyright laws, let me first point out my suspicious lack of money, all the other stories on this site doing the same thing while… ::mysteriously disappears from lawyer's sight::

Charmed as a Bleeding Rose

By: Allore NightShadow

Chapter 4

It was well past midnight before Hermione made her way back into the Obsidian rooms. She was tired and hurting, but she didn't allow herself to collapse on the ground until she crossed the threshold to the Obsidian rooms. If only Severus hadn't been standing there, everything would have been perfect, but alas, he was.

"Remove yourself from my person, Miss Granger." Indeed, she had tripped as she stepped over the threshold when she found him before her and had been caught in a rather precarious position, splayed across his chest.

Hermione instantly stood up straight upon hearing her professor's voice. "Yes, sir. Sorry, sir." Not even strength enough to fight back or add in her own willful comment.

He didn't let her sleep, as Hermione would have hoped, instead he took out a light practice sword and handed it to her, beginning exercises that way. Hermione was tired, but many years of late night studying allowed her practiced mind to push away the fogginess of her tired mind and ignore the pulling of her strained muscles. She was tired, but she'd be damned if she would tell Snape that he was pushing her too hard.

She steeled herself against every clash of swords and bore all the pain with a sadistic grin. It didn't hurt all that badly, if she thought about it, much in the same way an itch didn't quite itch if you focused your attention closely on it.

Eventually Snape let her stop, though it was long after Hermione ceased being able to keep a tight grip on her and had let several of his thrust slide past her own sword's defense and grazing her body.

She slept in the bedroom within the Obsidian Rooms, asleep before her head hit the pillow.

Severus was mildly perplexed at Hermione's abilities. Her mind seemed to absorb everything he told her within moments and her body seemed to be able to copy anything his did with more ease than most, but something was strange about the way her body lost its control over things that should have been easy to control. Her grip, for instance, should have been fairly constant, even for a beginner, but he found that several times she simply dropped the sword onto the ground, unprovoked.

Silently, Severus prepared the three doses of the potions for Hermione the next day. A .02, .03 and .04 to one ratio of substance to water.

"Miss Granger, get up now!"

Hermione woke to the lovely scowling face of her potion's professor, not how she wanted to wake up any morning, let alone this one.

The last remnants of a dream slipped from her consciousness.

"I'm up, I'm up." A quick glance to the window (though she wasn't sure how a window came to be present in what she assumed to be the center of the castle) told her that it was just past dawn.

"Drink this and come with me." Snape said and handed her three bottles as he did the night before.

Hermione would have protested, but in the presence on this man, her words seemed to fail her, as they had never done with others.

It took only a matter of moments for Hermione to change her clothing with the flick of her wand and another few hygiene charms to make her seem presentable after a night's sleep.

"Professor Snape?" She questioned as she entered the main room.

"Sit down, Miss Granger, and we shall begin." Hermione did as she was told. "This is what you might call wandless magic. It is the focusing of your own magic without the aid of a conductor, your wand. I trust you have read about the theory of wandless magic?"

He seemed to be waiting for Hermione to speak about her gathered information and so she obliged. "Wandless magic is the theory of being able to use your own body as a conductor for magic instead of a wand as well as being able to gather magic from the surrounding area. It is said to be impossible to master or control beyond the few mishaps created by strong emotions before a wizard is trained."

She would have continued on and on if Professor Snape didn't stop her. "That is enough, Miss Granger. I want you to forget everything you've ever read about wandless magic. This is practical application not the lies you have read from people who don't want others to master this art."

Professor Snape adopted his teaching tone and began to do just that, teach. He started with the common theory and myths and then corrected them so that they would represent accurate information.

Hermione was enthralled.

Everything continued smoothly for several months. Hermione ran the perimeter of Hogwarts at least once a day. She practiced with weapons on Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays during the free period she had for NEWTS independent research, and everyday after dinner, she found herself in the Obsidian Rooms getting some lesson or another on wandless magic or other types of high level spells that would be dangerous to attempt alone.

She did in fact research her own potions and found that no others would be needed, The vetralism would make her immune to all truth serums, it being the strongest of them all, and the belladonna's now continual presence in her system would negate the effects of any poison.

As the weeks and months went on, her body became stronger and stronger from the constant pushing that Snape put upon her but unknown to Snape, her health was deteriorating. Hermione continued to push herself though, refusing to show weakness in the face of a predator until eventually, she nearly died.

"Miss Granger, stop slumping this instant! Stand up straight! Fight me like you mean it!" Severus held his sword in one hand while waiting for Hermione to attack. She was leaning against the wall looking oddly pale as opposed to her normally golden appearance.

Nodding, Hermione stood and balanced to sword against the palm of her hand. She refused to show weakness, not to the one man who she had found delighted in exploiting that weakness.

"Attack me, Miss Granger! Now!" Without hesitating or even thinking of talking back, Hermione did as he said. In the time she had worked with him, she had learned that to talk back was futile.

In a swift movement that belied the actual hurt she felt, Hermione attack. Strike. Counterstrike. Strike. Counterstrike.

Severus made a quick change from the routine and disposed of Hermione's sword while he brought his down over her head. If he had actually been going to hurt her besides the sharp smack with the side of the blade that he gave to her each time he managed to beat her, he would have cleaved her head off.

Instead of allowing the sword to come near her, Hermione switched tactics. The sword that was coming towards her was stopped in midair and no matter how much Severus strained to bring it down, it was caught in the air.

From the other side of the room, Hermione's sword raised itself and glided over to the pair.

Hermione wasn't doing as well as her magic was. Sweating profusely, she strained to keep the magic steady.

Suddenly Hermione shook violently, loosing control of her magic. Her own sword, moving steadily towards her, suddenly lurched out of control and flew past her, dangerously close to going straight though her head.

Severus' sword wasn't as lucky. Hung precariously in midair with Severus still trying to force it from the air, he wasn't prepared when the barrier protecting Hermione from the blade of the sword was suddenly gone.

The sword he was holding came down on Hermione violently. By mere chance, the sword missed her neck. He heard the discernable crack that was her collarbone and saw the blood spurt out of a wound across her chest before Hermione collapsed.

Severus was stunned into shock, still for a few precious moments and then he moved at a speed and efficiency that was unknown to most people in a crisis where someone could likely bleed to death under their watch.

He was sure not to touch her lest he damage her even more than need be. Silently he levitated her body with his own careful controlled wandless magic and headed towards the door.

"Hospital Wing." Severus said in a controlled voice and a moment later the door that was the exit to the obsidian rooms shifted to that of the open hospital wing door. He didn't stop his strides until he placed Hermione safely on one of the pristine white beds.

"Poppy! Poppy, get out here now!"

The elderly matron hurried out of her office at the call.

"Severus, what is the-… What happened to Miss Granger?! No matter, no matter." She immediately went over to Hermione and began to check her vitals with a quick spell.

"Severus, get out." The elderly woman didn't stop at her work to issue the command and was not in the least pit intimidated by Severus' hovering figure.

"Poppy, I do believe-…"

It did not seem that Poppy Pomfrey cared at all what Severus Snape believed because upon his resistance to her command, she immediately rounded on him.

"Severus, this is my domain and you would do best to listen to me here. Get out! This is no place for a man. I would wish to preserve some of Miss Granger's modesty, if you don't mind. Now, out! Out!" The woman, though short of stature compared to Severus' height, was every bit the ireful woman. She was daunting in her superiority.

With several commanding pushes to his chest, pomfrey managed to push Severus out of the door during her speech and as he looked at her in surprise, now out of the door, she slammed the door in his face.

As quickly as she could, Madame Pomfrey returned to her patient. She sent a quick spell at the door, activating a sign that would tell anybody seeking a potion for relief of some type of ailment, to request such from Professor Snape and to come back later unless it was an emergency.

Closing the curtain around the bed, Madame pomfrey closed herself in with Hermione lest someone come into the hospital wing and not heed her notice. With the efficiency of one in the practice of health for many, many years, Madame Pomfrey put Hermione into a stable condition and then sought the potions she would need to keep her there.

By the end of the day, Professor Snape was called back to the hospital wing, not expecting the tongue-lashing he was to receive.

Allore NightShadow

Well, what do you think? I'm trying to get into the actual plot of the story and happened to mave past the actual training part fairly quickly. I hope I haven't lost anybody at this point. Within the next two chapters, you will see the plot develop more solidly and hopefully be more enrapted in my story. If not, oh well. I will try my hardest to have another chapter up in a couple of weeks.

This is where I would put my aknowledgements but seeing as this chapter is sooo very late, I don't think they would be valid anymore. So let me just say thank you to anyone who has read my story thus far and I will have acknowledgements next chapter for anyone who would like to leave a review.

Until next time

Ja ne.


	5. Hogwarts or Alistar

I am very proud of myself. I have managed to complete and entire chapter in one week (and one day). As opposed to my last chapter, which took six months to get out, I would say that this was ver good. I also made this chapter a bit longer than the last as thanks to the wonderful review response I got. For all the people who read to this point, thank you. This chapter is for you. 

Disclaimer- No, I don't own Hermione. No, I don't own Snape. I do own Alistar and the personified version of Hogwarts, so hands off!

Charmed as a Bleeding Rose

Chapter 5

By: Allore NightShadow

During dinner that night, Professor Snape ate with a solemn face. I couldn't be said that he was acting out of character, he just seemed to be in a worse mood than normal. He vented his frustration by taking off a total of one hundred and fifty-five points off of various houses on his way to the great hall. Five of those points were even off of Slytherin, showing just how bad his mood really was.

It wasn't long into the meal before a school owl fluttered into the great hall and landed before Professor Snape.

The scroll was tied with a red ribbon, a summons. In one swift motion, Severus deftly releasing the scroll from the owl's leg, allowing the owl to fly away, and laid the scroll open in front of him.

_Severus,_

_Come to the Hospital Wing as soon as you finish your meal. Should you fail to come swiftly, you will live to regret it._

_Poppy_

It took Severus a moment to digest the threatening letter he had received from the usually sickeningly sweet matron. Once that moment had passed, he stood from his seat and left the great hall in long strides by the door behind the Professor's table. There was an audible sigh of relief from the Professors that were seated to either side of him. They had felt the tension surrounding Professor Snape and had chosen not to comment.

Severus knocked on the door to the hospital wing. It was only a moment before it slammed open (coincidentally in the opposite direction that it was supposed to open) and if not for Professor Snape's quick reflexes, his overly large nose might have become a bit friendly with the door.

"Get in here Severus! Now!"

He walked in swiftly, trying not to show fear in the face of the beast. He would have snapped one of his oh-so-snarky comments had he thought they would have any effect on the woman. It was hard to intimidate someone who had seen him at his worst and most vulnerable; someone who had seen him when he was just an awkward teen with a large nose trying to fit in.

He stopped by the bed Hermione was laying in at looked down at her. Her could not believe that this was the vibrant young woman who could spar with him on his own level, if not physically, than mentally.

'_And you nearly killed her.' _A voice said in the back of his head.

She was pale. Her features were gaunt. From beneath the covers, he could see the beginnings of white bandages wrapped tightly around her chest, bandages that were speckled lightly with blood.

Severus felt a pang of guilt.

"In my office now, Severus! I will not tell you again!" Poppy Pomfrey's voice held in it a quality that made him feel as if he were a little boy again. He had to catch himself before he pouted and shuffled over to Madame Pomfrey as he did in his youth. Instead he stalked over in his intimidating manner, trying to give the impression that he was listening to her orders only because it caught his fancy to do so at the moment. He didn't think his act fooled either one of them.

Madame Pomfrey waited until the door to her office shut completely, thus activating the silencing spell that was placed for patient confidentiality before speaking to Severus.

"I can't believe you, Severus." She began in a carefully controlled voice. "In all my years here, I've done nothing but vouch for you honor and _this_ is how you repay my trust."

"Poppy," Severus said, speaking as if he were an equal, but feeling as if he should hide his face. "I am sure I have no notion as to what you are speaking about."

"Poisoning, Severus. Poisoning. You are the only one in this school with the knowledge to make her go so long before her body collapsed in on itself. You broke her collarbone, Severus. I don't know what you were doing and frankly, I don't care. Malnutrition, exhaustion, and I don't know how you did it, but her organs have exploded. What did you do to her, Severus!" Each word of the last sentence was pronounced firmly and carefully, leaving no question as to their meaning.

Severus ran a hand through his hair. "Poppy, honestly, I don't know how this happened. I gave her a small amount of belladonna, arsenic and veritaserum. Her magic should have made her body completely immune to each dose of them as she slept with it in her body each night and lived with it though the day. I don't see how this could have happened. Anybody with magic could adapt to the small amount I gave her. If there was a problem, it should have showed in her immediately, not this much later." He put a hand to his forehead. "It's my fault Poppy. I should have seen this sooner and brought her to you. I take all responsibility." Severus stood up and left the room quickly, black robes flapping around the corner.

Madame Pomfrey was surprised by the look of true regret and guilt that showed on Severus' face before he closed off his emotions and left the room.

Perhaps…perhaps it was not Severus' fault at all. Perhaps there was something else at work here.

(o)

Poppy Pomfrey's head suddenly appeared in the headmaster's fireplace.

"Why Poppy, what can I do for you?" And then in an act of courtesy, of perhaps it was just Albus Dumbledore being…well, Albus Dumbledore, "Would you care for a lemon drop?"

"Not now Albus, this is important. Can you come down the hospital wing as soon as possible? There is something I would really like to speak to you about. It is a bit urgent." She was calmer now than she had been before, when speaking to Severus, but ever more perplexed.

"Of course, Poppy. Just give me a moment an I'll be down in a moment."

Albus Dumbledore stood with a grace that belied his old age and straightened out his purple star speckled robes. He took his beard, which was lying haphazardly on top of his head and tucked it safely into his belt before heading out.

"Now, what is so urgent, Poppy." Dumbledore said as he entered the hospital wing.

"In here." She said, motioning the headmaster into her office. She waited until he was seated to begin.

"It's about Miss Granger." She began, waiting to gauge Dumbledore's reaction, trying to see how much he knew of what she was going to tell him. He wasn't omniscient, as most thought, he just had very good resources and a perceptive insight into the human mind. Still, knowing he wasn't omniscient didn't change the feeling that he could see into your soul. Albus only nodded a signal for her to continue.

"She was poisoned, quite badly, may I add. It seems she had been holding the poisons at bay until just recently. I did a bit of research and found that if she were to have a reaction this strongly, it would have been, a Professor Snape told me, immediate. I also found it odd that her organs would have exploded with no reason. Thank Merlin, she had been in the hospital wing when her organs ceased functioning and I was able to put her in stable condition as I re-grew the organs. I can't imagine what would have happened had she not been here."

Dumbledore was silent.

"I have had her monitored all of today, tracking her magical output, and I found it quite perplexing that while the majority of the time, her output was rather low, if not steady and controlled, there were times when that level fluctuated wildly, reaching extremely high levels."

She hesitated a moment before taking a deep breath and continuing, deciding to get right down to the heart of the matter.

"I found that she has a very powerful binding spell on her."

Albus cocked his head to the side.

"Well, then remove it." His answer was simplicity in its essence.

"Albus, it looks like one of You-Know-Who's bindings. I don't know _how _to remove it. I don't know why she would have one of His bindings on her, but she does. It looks like the pressure of her magic being held back when it was needed to heal her caused catastrophic damage to her body. Without her magic, I doubt she will live through the week. That's why I asked you to come here, Albus. I need you to remove it for me."

His eyes had lost their prominent twinkle. Another life that Voldemort had interfered with. At last he nodded, strangely serious.

"You are to tell nobody, Poppy. For whatever reason she was bound, it could endanger her if she was found not so." He was deadly serious.

Poppy nodded and tried not to look into Albus' eyes. This is the man who frightened Voldemort.

(o)

(I was going to end it here, but I got such a strong response that I decided I'd do a section or two more.)

(o)

Hermione opened her eyes only to shut them again to the blaring white coloring of everything around her. Slowly, as not to shock her senses again, she opened her eyes.

"You are awake, finally." Said a voice beside her bed. Hermione looked towards the direction where the voice came from, but saw nobody.

"I'm over here."

In a quick motion that cracked her neck, Hermione looked to the other side.

"But, weren't you just… over…" Hermione pointed to the other side of the bed, but trailed off when she saw the person standing there. "Who are you?"

It was a young boy, perhaps no older than nine or possibly ten. He wore elaborate robes of red, blue, gold, and silver, laying over odd black baggy pants that were tightened at the waist and at the ankles by a silver string and a silken black shirt of a matching color. He looked like someone who had just stepped out of a fairy tale story.

"Me?" He asked. "I have had many names, but you may call me Alistar, should you so wish, My Lady, Hermione."

His voice was the sound of a young boy, but the way he spoke was of one very old.

"How do you know my name?" She asked to the boy.

"Me? I know everything that happened in this place. So many people have said your name and spoken of you, the walls buzzed with it."

Hermione was very confused. Here was this boy, someone who probably shouldn't even be in the school, and he spoke as if he knew everything about it. Odd.

"Who are you?" She asked again, this time not seeking a name.

"I am called Alistar. Have I not told you?"

"No, I mean… where do you come from?… what are you?…"

"Ah," He said at last. "I would have hoped that I had not needed to answer that question so soon. I am… what you would now call Hogwarts. I am the heart and soul of this place."

Hermione's head was reeling. "But I don't understand. How can somebody _be_ a building; it simply doesn't make sense."

The boy finally got tired of standing beside her bed and suddenly there he was, sitting on her bed with her. Hermione was surprised, but said nothing.

"Does it really surprise you so much? You have learned that magic doesn't happen without anything to make it happen. Sometimes it is spontaneous, but it still comes from somewhere. Where do you think Hogwarts gets its magic? Is it really so farfetched for a magical being to be born part of a magical building?"

Hermione stayed silent, digesting the information she was presented with.

"Why are you talking to me, then? I have not heard that any others have spoke to you."

"Because nobody else can see me. I don't know why you are able to see me, but I'm not going to complain. It's very lonely, not able to be seen or heard."

He looked up at Hermione with wide eyes, very much the child at the moment.

"You'll be my friend, won't you, Hermione?"

"Of course I will." She said and pulled the surprised boy into her arms. Alistar sat stiff for a moment before his body relaxed in her arms and his arms snaked around her waist, clearly content.

Allore NightShadow

I would like to thank everybody who had read thus far. I received a response I hadn't expected. This is for all my reviewers, a chapter in one week. I'm sorry to say it, but don't expect all my chapters this quickly.

I'll try to have my next chapter done between and week and… three weeks, maybe.

Review Reponses:

Raven Demon- I really appreciate your review and the care you gave in pointing out the oddities of it. I would like to point out that this story should be able to be read by people who haven't read the books, yet read the fanfictions any way. I personally know a few people who do that. I will take you comments into mind and if I have the time or energy to go so, I may go back and make the comments a bit more compatible with the original books.

Emikae- I'm glad my story was good enough to make it to your author alert list.

BlackRoseGirl- Thank you for you vote of confidence. I'm happy to know I have kept Hermione in character.

Meenyrocks- I'm glad to know I'm not alone. Also, I love to hear that my story lines are original. It is my goal as a write to avoid cliches.

Dortha- I thank you very much for not threatening me to update soon.

Alyssa- Oh no! Stupid computer! It spit out evil information! I looked up the meaning of Hermione and you were right. It turns out the one place I looked was the only place with incorrect information.

GinnyGin- Yes, I am aware that Snape was OOC for a chapter, and I am trying to fix that now by keeping him in character, but it was needed to do what he did, or the story couldn't have gone on.

KishKitten36- I'm not sure I understand what you are insinuating. That my grammar is bad or that I sound as if I'm not a native English speaker? Mayhap you are not aware that people can make mistake on a computer that they wouldn't make when written out by hand because of a typing error.

Culumacilinte- I haven't really decided who Ron's girlfriend is. It isn't really essential to the story at the moment, but if you have any requests, I could make it happen. (Or you could just wait to be surprised.)

Faerluthio- Thank you for that spelling mistake. It seems that I need to go read the Harry Potter series again if I'm starting to forget simple things like spelling.

F75- Not quite an ulterior motive as a command from a superior.

Indil Elondili- You asked and you shall receive.

Miss Elvira Dark- ::puffs up chest:: You dare to take points from me! Shame on you! One hundred points from your house for disrespecting the great Allore NightShadow. And one hundred more for questioning me. Wait, you don't have that many points? Can we go into negatives here?

Thanks also to:

Arwen

Alison

I-LUV-ILC

Owlsrock

KarryAnne

Natsuyori

Nore

Kealdrea

Please comment or criticize.


	6. Listening

I am so proud of myself. One more chapter spitting itself out of my mind.

Disclaimer- The Harry Potter Series does not belong to me, nor do any of the charactors that have shown up in said series. They will be returned, if not completely the same, and with minimal metal sanity, when I'm done. If your trying to sue me… ::disapperates::

Charmed as a Bleeding Rose

Chapter 6

By: Allore NightShadow

There was normally only one thing that Hermione needed while being forced into an extended stay in the hospital wing, and those were her books. This stay didn't even require that. Her waking hours were spent conversing with Alistar, a very interesting conversationalist, if she did say so herself.

He was a young boy, yes, but he was in possession of knowledge well past his years, and indeed, well past her years as well.

Hermione didn't stop to question whether he was simply a figment of her imagination. She was unable to believe that her normally rational mind could conjure up a figment.

With Alistar, she formed an incredible bond in a very short period of time, even stronger when she realized that nobody else could see him.

At one point, Hermione had tried to ask Madame Pomfrey who the boy was, and when she had pointed to the chair that Alistar was lounging ever so comfortably, she had professed to see nothing and then had drowned Hermione in anti-hallucinates. Hermione still saw him, though she though better than to say such to Madame Pomfrey.

She received a short visit from Professor Dumbledore on the third day of her stay, though she couldn't say that the visit was entirely unexpected. He had visited her on every long stay she had had in the hospital wing, at least once or twice a year due to an attack of her nerves.

He had smiled down at her in his omniscient way, and had assured her that everything would be alright, that everything would go according to plan. She had apparently fallen asleep during his visit, because the next thing she knew, she was speaking to the little boy who liked to disappear.

It was four days before Harry and Ron visited her.

"Hermes." Hermione opened her eyes to the large grin and flaming red hair of Ron.

"Don't call me that." Was her automatic response.

"So… how have you been, trapped in here?" A sharp look from Hermione made Harry rethink his question. "Okay. I get it. Nobody can have any fun in here. Dumbledore told us all what happened. I don't see how you could have had an anxiety attack this early in the year. I know we are going to take the NEWTS this year, but take care of yourself, okay. No grades are worth getting sick."

Hermione chose not to comment.

"Thanks."

Harry and Ron spent ten minutes with Hermione and then Hermione shooed them out, saying that the potion that Madame Pomfrey had given her was making her tired and that she wanted to go to sleep. They nodded and quietly left, being unusually tactful.

It wasn't until later that day that Professor Snape came by.

(o)

"No, Severus." Albus was unusually firm.

"I refuse to continue, Albus. I will not put my students in danger because I am not competent in keeping them safe. I'm sorry, Miss Granger will have to go without training." His arms were crossed in a way that he had done since he was young, marking his refusal to listen to anyone.

"Severus, of course you are more than competent. It was an accident. I don't expect you to be all knowing and be able to avoid accidents. I expect you to continue with your lessons with Miss Granger as soon as possible."

"Has your age addled brain let slip my answer. I will not! Find someone else to put children in danger. The magic you want me to teach her is too dangerous for one of her meager powers to learn. Her in the hospital is proof enough for that. She'll die if I continue on like this. I don't particularly like Miss Granger, but I would prefer not to kill her. Go find someone else to teach her practical defense."

"Severus Snape! You will continue with the lessons as we have planned. You will make up for lost time by meeting with her during meals and your night sessions will now commence two more days a week. I will not have my plans discarded because you feel that you cannot handle this. Hermione could very well be the token that wins us the war against the dark."

Severus Snape's face went stony. He turned towards the door and grabbed the handle, planning to leave. The door was locked.

"You will not disobey me, Severus. You will do as I say."

Severus turned back towards the man who had once saved him from himself.

"Sometimes, Albus, I think that you care more about this non-existent good than you do about people's lives. I will not do this for you. Continue in this manner and you will loose another of your precious 'tokens'."

That being said, the door to the headmaster's office was suddenly blasted off the hinges. Severus Snape stalked through the now askew door in his customary manner, robe billowing behind him. Albus Dumbledore was stuck silent.

(o)

Hermione was awoken when she felt the presence of another person near her bed, obviously looking at her. She opened her eyes, expecting to see Alistar, but he was nowhere to be seen. Instead, there was Professor Snape looking down on her.

"Professor Snape." She acknowledged.

"Miss Granger." He said in return, oddly polite. "I'm afraid that we must discontinue our lessons. It is not opportune for me to continue with them."

"No! Professor Snape, please let us continue."

"No." He was calm, but firm. "But should you be in need guidance or help, please feel free to come to me. You are a very bright student, I would not mind greatly helping you on your path."

While Professor Snape was talking, Alistar appeared, and though Hermione's eyes widened in alarm, it seemed that Professor Snape did not see him.

"I don't like him, Hermione." The boy said. "He hurt you." He glared at Professor Snape in the way that only a child could, looking on at Severus with extreme dislike.

"It was an accident." Hermione said to Alistar, trying to console the boy. Children were so strange.

"Excuse me, Miss Granger?"

"What? Oh, nothing. Forget I said anything."

He nodded absentmindedly and stood up. "I am glad to see that you have been fairing well. I expect to see you in class on Monday. I must now take my leave." He gave a short bow of his head before he headed towards the door.

It was as if a stone had suddenly risen an inch above the floor when Severus suddenly tripped (and would have fallen if not for a well placed table), interrupting his smooth stride.

Picking himself up with a grace that not many possessed, he looked back at Hermione. She only raised an eyebrow at him.

Grumbling to himself about the inadequacy of the makers of the building if the charm that kept the floor smooth should go bad after only a couple thousand years, Severus turned the doorknob and prepared to exit. He was not prepared for the door not to give out and he walked into the door.

With his back to Hermione, Severus walked back into the room and opened a cabinet on the other side of the room from her. He pulled out a bandage and held it to his nose before walking towards the exit. The door swung open by itself before he reached it.

Trying to make up for loss of grace and dignity, he swept out in his usual manner. It wasn't nearly as intimidating as it should have been.

"Alistar! How could you do such a thing?"

"Do what?" But he was grinning.

(o)

Hermione was indeed back in class on Monday. In fact, she purposely lied about the slight lightheadedness that she felt just so she could get out. Hermione sat in her usual seat towards that back of the room and Alistar, always her shadow these days, sat on the edge of her desk. Still nobody saw him. Hermione was starting to worry that perhaps she was crazy.

But the little things that Alistar did that effected other people made her acknowledge that he was real. She could feel him as well as she could feel any other flesh and blood being. The only difference between Alistar and any other being was that he seemed to be able to do things inside of Hogwarts that nobody else could.

"I trust you have all read the chapter I assigned on Friday." Professor Snape phrased his statement in a way that said 'I don't trust you in the least, especially not to have done your required reading, and I will revile in humiliating you in front of the class.'

The class stayed silent. That was as it usually was in Professor Snape's class. "You shall choose a partner and begin brewing the 'Cat's Eye' potion."

Harry and Ron immediately partnered, though they did spare Hermione a sympathetic glance as Neville made his way to her table. He was going to blow them both up and Hermione couldn't stop him because she had not been able to read the chapter during her stay in the hospital wing. As a matter of fact, Harry and Ron had both refused to tell her what work she had missed, saying that since Dumbledore had excused her from the week's work, she had bloody well better use it.

No, saved by Professor Snape.

"That will not do. Mister Longbottom, please sit with Mister Zambini. Miss Granger, you may move to Mister Malfoy's table."

His orders were carried out silently, though Blaise Zambini was glaring dangerously at Neville and each step closer to Blaise he got, Neville looked closer and closer to wetting himself.

"Granger." Malfoy acknowledged, carefully balancing out the required amount of Midnight Bloom.

Hermione looked at him with interest. Never before had he simply offered her acknowledgement without some insult or another. Not knowing how to take his sudden disinterest, she replied in kind.

"Malfoy."

Had Draco been an idiot, Hermione never would have been able to participate that day. The first thing he had done was written down all the ingredients, their amounts, and the directions for the potion. He was surprisingly organized, almost at the level of Hermione herself.

"Can you pass me the-…" Draco's words were ignored as Alistar appeared and spoke at the same time as Draco.

"_He's going to blow up my dungeons again_." Alistar sounded cross.

"Who?" She asked.

Draco, thinking that Hermione was talking to him replied. "You. Who else?" But Hermione wasn't paying any attention to him.

"_That Longbottom kid. I don't know how he turned out how he did, his parents were most proficient at potions_."

"Oh, Neville, you mean."

Draco, once again thinking that she was talking to him, spoke up again. "No, not Longbottom, you idiot. You! I want YOU to pass me the crushed catnip!"

Hermione looked over towards Draco, hearing him yell something at her.

"I'm sorry. Did you want something?" She asked him, genuine curiosity in her voice

Draco looked at her is disbelieving. It seemed that Granger had finally cracked. Draco let his head fall to the table, resulting in a resounding 'crack' as his head hit. If he could have done so without getting strange looked from his classmates, he would have stood up and banged his head against the wall in frustration.

Be nice, his father had said. Show her that you can be trusted no matter what person you support. Become her friend. Let her lean on you for support. When she begins to doubt her ideals, you will show her the way. When Draco had profusely refused, he had been threatened with being disinherited.

Jarring the table turned out to not be a good idea. A bottle of dragon's blood (good for transformations) that had been sitting on the desk fell over and rolled away… directly into the cauldron.

"_I was wrong_." Alistar said. "_It seemed this generation of Malfoy shall be the one to destroy my dungeons this time_."

Boom!

The dungeon was left in shambles.

(o)

Allore NightShadow

So, what do you think? I'm sorry it took me so long to update. Those of you in school will understand the need to study for exams. (Really, seeing Finding Nemo on ice had nothing to do with me being late. ;;) But, I promised myself I would post this week and so here I am.

I am aware that Snape was a bit odd this chapter. I tried my hardest to keep him in character. At first I had him telling Hermione the he hadn't meant to hurt her and that she would had to forgive him for not being able to continue the lessons, and then though. Snape? Ask forgiveness? Hah! Like that would ever happen. Did everyone like Alistar's little revenge. I though that the way I got Snape to help Hermione in class was very good as well. Very… Slytherin of him.

You'll find that I will nearly always be posting on a Friday (once in a while a Saturday) so if you don't use author alerts, you can look for updates on that day.

I really hope everyone likes this story.

Please comment of critique.

I love you people.

Review responses:

GinnyGin- please tell me if Snape was OOC this chapter. You seem fairly good at telling.

Meenyrocks- Guy? No guy. He is just a child and isn't really represented as a guy. Just a child.

Natsuyori- If you keep reviewing, you can earn you points back. You can have five points for this review. (You're still in the negatives.)

Emikae- Hehe, moms. My mother used to steal my keyboard and mouse every other week so that I couldn't go on the computer. I couldn't write, but she didn't know that I had an extra mouse and that I had all the places I went in my favorites and the passwords that I really needed saved in the computer, so I couldn't still go on when she wasn't home and read fanfiction. Hehe, now I have a laptop so she can't steal my keyboard.

Zenni- It seemed that a lot of people got lost at the point. Sorry. Yes, Hermione was full awake when she met Alistar.

Indil Elondili- You asked for a longer chapter!

Thanks also to :

Melodie568

F75

Kealdrea

cc-draco

wildxtreame

USAfroggie87

Stargazer starluver

Rusty and the Rubix horse


	7. Lost and found WHERE

Yay! I've updated. Are you proud of me or what? I have to say that my last chapter's review response really imspired me to get this chapter out this week. Not the number of reviews or anything, but what the first few said. It made me really happy that everyone liked my last chapter so much and I hope that you like this one just as much.

Charmed as a Bleeding Rose

Chapter 7

By: Allore NightShadow

The room was in disarray. The tables were in shamble, the door had been blasted off its hinges and no student was without at least a scratch. All in the room automatically looked towards Neville, but his cauldron was still in one piece so it could not have been him that had caused the explosion.

Heads turned in confusion until they settled on Draco, whose eyes were wide.

"Where's Hermione?" The question came from Harry.

Everyone looked around until all came to the conclusion that Hermione was indeed not there.

It was the strangest thing, Draco thought. He had just been looking at her before the explosion went off and then, after the smoke produced by the explosion had cleared, she just wasn't there.

"Get out! Everyone get out! I see that you incompetence has reigned supreme. Mister Longbottom, I expect you here after dinner to repair my classroom."

"But Professor," Said he. "I didn't-…"

"Did I ask you to comment, Mister Longbottom? Get out now!"

The room cleared so quickly that one would wonder if there had been a devil on their heals.

Severus pinched the bridge of his in frustration. This lab was completely destroyed. He knew that it had been Draco Malfoy to do the damage this time, but it was much easier to blame Longbottom for another mishap than to deal with Lucius Malfoy. His punishment to Draco would not be commenced publicly.

He stood, casting a weary eye on the destruction that lay around him, and knocked once on the wall behind his desk. A door appeared out of nowhere. The room that he walked into was his office, though his office was closer to the main staircase than his classroom. This manner of travel was much like the Obsidian rooms.

He didn't come out into the main part of his office, but rather in a private lab that was connected to it by a door protected with more spells and curses than anyone in their right set of mind would think to disarm. Severus Snape was a very cautious man. Years as a spy would do that to you.

Reaching into his cabinets, Severus removed the oldest of his headache relief potions, making a mental note to brew another batch within the week, and downed it in one gulp. He didn't even wince at the foul taste that should have accompanied it.

Then, quite strangely indeed, he heard a muffled shout from nearby. He walked towards his office, planning on making a surprise entrance and deduct points from the Gryffindor who had decided to linger and make a ruckus, when he noticed that the voice seemed to recede as he walked towards the hall.

'My quarters?' He thought, clearly perturbed. Whoever could have gotten into his quarters? It was simply not feasible. The wards on his quarters were ever greater and more advanced than those on his lab.

Slowly, he made his way to the back of the lab and entered his quarters through another of the doors that lead to everywhere.

He entered the rooms and stopped dead. Shock filled his features. How had she gotten in here?

"I don't care if the room was about to explode. There was no reason to move me. I would have been perfectly fine. Now let me out of here, I said."

She was talking to an invisible being that reached to the middle of her torso. Severus believed that she had finally lost her mind.

"You get back here!" She yelled. Apparently her non-existent friend had decided to leave.

"I know you can hear me! Let me out of here before Professor Snape…" She trailed off, catching sight of the person in question.

"Oh! Professor Snape. What are you doing here?"

He raised one eyebrow delicately. "Pardon me, Miss Granger, but I do believe that the question is 'What are _you _doing here?' would you not think. So go ahead. Please enlighten me as to what exactly you are doing in my quarters. While you are explaining that, I think that it would be prudent if you explained _how _you got in here."

Hermione was silent.

"Well? Go on Miss Granger. Don't let this little incident keep you from your usual chatter."

"I was…" She paused, not sure how to explain to the professor that a mysterious young boy who claimed to be Hogwarts itself had brought her here.

"…brought here…" Would he even believe her of, like Madame Pomfrey, or would he think her delusional and stuff a potion down her throat? Hermione was sure that any potion of Professor Snape's would be infinitely more potent than anything that Madame Pomfrey would have given her. Many have bad side effects, but should he think her delusional, perhaps he would consider the bad effects not to overweigh the relief gained.

"…by a young boy named Alistar who claims to be Hogwarts." Hermione waited for the snarky comment that was sure to follow what must have sounded to him like a fantasized story by a delusional girl who was severely stressed. If she thought her explanation sounded as such, then Professor Snape certainly did.

Instead of telling her she was crazy, (she expected it by now) he only seemed highly intrigued. "Indeed."

Yes, indeed, Hermione thought. Was that all he was to say? Indeed? That was never all he said.

"I have heard strange tales…" He began, clearly thinking deeply and not caring that it was Hermione that he was speaking to.

"I was told once. that all great placed such as these, places of great magic, could not work this magic alone, spontaneously. I was told that no enchantment could make a place like this defy space, as it clearly does, and no enchantment could make places appear and staircases move with the spontaneity that Hogwarts shows. Clearly then, Hogwarts must have a mind of its own. Should you have spoken with this mind, a young boy you say, and should it have decided that you were in danger, I do not find it strange that all of Hogwarts should move to protect you."

Hermione was amazed at the way she was spoken to. He seemed to take her for her work (something she had to admit that she would be highly skeptical should she have been told the same thing) and even provided some thoughts of his own. All in all, Hermione thought that he was acting slightly out of character.

"But!…" There it was, the big but. She should have known better than to relax her guard when around the snarky potion's master.

"You will not come into my quarters again, no matter if Albus himself should invite you to enter. Should I find you in here again, you will be very, very sorry. Do I make myself clear, Miss Granger. Tell your friend that as well that I shall become very cross if he should decide the cause me to walk into a door again."

(o)

Hermione couldn't control the giggle the escaped her after she left Professor Snape's quarters. The look on his face when he had asked, no, Professor Severus Snape never asked for anything, told her to inform Alistar not to cause him to walk into doors again was almost priceless. He had unconsciously brought his right hand up to his nose and gently prodded the already abnormally large nose that could be found there. It seemed that he had not gone to Madame Pomfrey to get the thing healed and had not done so himself. He scowled when he had noticed her observation. "Well," he had said. "did I not make it clear enough to you. Get out of my quarters"

So busy smiling to herself, she didn't watch where she was going…

And ran smack into Draco Malfoy.

Hermione was still grinning though, and even being knocked to the floor by an overly egotistical and narsacistic Slytherin couldn't take the picture of Professor Snape prodding his nose out of her mind.

"Sorry, sorry." She said, not even caring at the moment that it was Draco Malfoy that she was apologizing to, nor that it was probably orchestrated by him in the first place to knock her to the ground.

Hermione stood, brushed herself off, and started to walk away.

"Hey, wait Granger!" He called to her as she walked away. When she turned back to him, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her hand closer to his face.

"You're hurt. Are you alright?" The concern that he showed was something that Hermione wasn't used to seeing on Draco Malfoy's face, let alone directed towards her.

"I'm fine." And she snatched her hand away from Draco Malfoy, not because she was trying to be rude, but because she didn't like to be touched by people she wasn't wholly comfortable with.

Draco didn't respond to her, only turned and walked up the stairs, likely taking the shortest route to their class.

Hermione was still in contemplation a few moments later when she realized that her next class started immediately after potions and she only ever got there on time when she was the first out of class and ran there. Breaking into a sprint which came surprisingly easy, Hermione ran to class.

As luck would have it, Hermione was not tardy. Her potions class had been let out early thanks to a timely explosion and despite the time that she had spent locked in Professor Snape's quarters and speaking with him, she was still there on time.

Harry and Ron were not in her Advanced Defense Spells class, thought by the new Defense against the dark arts teacher, Professor Jane Yuki, though she wished that they were in her class. Had they been in the same class, Hermione may have found it a bit easier to deal with the harsh ways of Professor Yuki if they had been there to help diffuse the atmosphere. The woman was nice enough… on the outside.

"Glad to see you have finally joined us after your unfortunate stay with Madame Pomfrey, Miss Granger." Everyone saw the smile that Professor Yuki sent her way, but nobody but Hermione herself saw the glare that was sent her way. It was almost as if the woman had something against her. Whatever it could be, Hermione had no idea.

"Now class," Professor Yuki began and as she spoke, the door slammed shut. Strange things like this tended to happen around her. Nobody was quite sure if Peeves just liked to hang around the woman or if it was the woman's own powers that caused such an effect. "I would like you all to break into groups of two. You will practice the spells I taught you over the past week as well as the barriers. Split up, now!"

There was an uneven number in the room and because Hermione didn't think she had to participate with another student sending spells at her because she was not here the week before, she didn't seek out a partner. As fate would have it, Professor Yuki would have none of that.

"There seems to be an uneven number in the room. Miss Granger," She leered at Hermione in that creepy way she did. "you shall work with me and we can be an example together."

"But Professor…" Hermione began, but was interrupted.

"Are you arguing with me, Miss Granger. I believe I can arrange a detention with Mr. Filch if you deserve it."

"No, Professor." Hermione stood and preceded to the center of the room.

"Prepare yourself." She said, but didn't give Hermione enough time to prepare for the first attack.

"Respirio!" She yelled and the spell hurled towards Hermione. Seeing the area that the spell took up was relatively small, Hermione took a step to the right and watched as the spell hurled past her and shattered against the wall, breaking bits of the stone wall off.

"That, class, is an example of what exactly NOT to do. What if there were more people attacking her than just me? She could have just walked into another attack."

Hermione was not used to being criticized.

"I was aware that there were no other people attacking me and that was why I moved the way I did."

"Do not talk back to me, Miss Granger. Defend yourself! Nunquam Atroma!"

The curse head straight for Hermione. It wasn't one that she knew the counter curse to, so she thought of a barrier spell, one of the ones that professor Snape had taught her, and focused on the spell, waiting for it to get close enough to erect the barrier. It was a powerful one and would only last for a second or two with her power and training with it.

As Hermione focused on the spell, she noticed the spell veer off course from her and relaxed. The spell hit a student to the left of her. When hit, the student, a Hufflepuff named Patricia Muckwamp, screamed and collapsed. To think, that spell had been meant for Hermione.

Professor Yuki began another spell without hesitating. Hermione didn't hear the spell, but the magic produced looked deadly. It was blidingly bright and moved with a spped almost unheard of when it came to spells. Hermione had no doubt that it would reach her before she could react.

When scared, the human body, whether that of a muggle or a wazard, goes into defense mode. Hermione closed her eyes, covered her chest with her arms crossed in an X, and awaited the inevitable.

She waited and waited and waited. When it seemed like the spell should have already hit, Hermione snuck a peek, opening her eyes just a crack. When she saw Alistar, her eyes widened completely.

There was Alistar in all his glory, shading before her as if there was no spell frozen in midair directly behind.

Frozen in midair…

Hermione looked around the room carefully, not believing her eyes. Everything in the room had slowed to a snails crawl, still moving, but moving so slowly that it almost looked as if people were frozen in their places.

"What did you do, Alistar?" She looked down at the boy, not sure whether to be frighted or relieved.

"Me? I didn't do anything. You made the time within Hogwarts slow." He looked over at the women who had sent the curse, currently an orb of purple light suspended in midair, and scowled.

"She will not come back after the holidays." He said to Hermione.

"What? Why?"

"Why? Because this place will become hell for her. Nobody hurts my friends." He didn't mention that Hermione was his only friend… ever.

Alistarwaved his hand and time suddenly came back into motion. Before Hermione had a chance to blink, the spell reached her. Instead of hitting her, the spell was rebounded off of a barrier that had suddenly appeared around her and hit the Professor.

The woman went down screaming.

(o)

Allore NightShadow

(o)

So, what do you think? Like the chapter. Don't ask about this Professor Yuki, she really isn't that important of a character at the moment and while I might show an alternate ajenda, it wont be for a while. The reason for introducing a character that had such a strong and almost dangerous dislike of Hermione is to be able to show the growing magic that Hermione is able to control and just how powerful Alistar is.

Snape… Ah, Snape. There is nothing like Snape. Now you all will not be so surprised if Hermione turns up in his quarters more often…

Review responses:

Strega-in-progress – Your Severus! No, Mine! Mine! Mine! Mine! And I can make MY Severus trip whenever I want to. Hehe. Kidding.

FaerLuthio- No, Severus has gotten out of it… for now. I've never seen any other of stories of Hogwarts personified.

Natsuyori- Okay, I will neutrolize your points. You can start with zero. I'll give you fifteen points should you continue reading. ::grins like a cheshire cat::

Venomequeen-83 – Thank you for your compliment. I like to have humor mixed in with my stories, it keeps people laughing and reading.

BrennaM- Thanks. I hope you won't be disappointed.

Sarah- Thank you so much! Your review was the one that pushed me into writing this chapter a little faster. I am so glad that you consider this story one of those ones that you look for when coming on this site. And no, Harry's rolse will not become secondary to Hermione's, just different.

Dortha- Yes, Alistar has style. Yay!

Starzcrossed- Plot? Yes, I suppose that there are too many stories out there that have no plot.

Nore- You had better like Alistar.

Xssithi- Well, I hope to finish this for you. I am sorry to say that I don't generally write too quickly, usually between one week and one month because I am very busy with school work and the novel that I am writing at the moment. I have been trying to update as often as possible, though.

Spider web- Yes, Hermione is the only one who can see Alistar.

cc-draco – This should have answered your questions about Draco… Almost.

Indil Elondili- This one is even longer for you! I didn't do so well on my exams… ::shudder:: Evil tests of death. Don't get me wrong, I like to take tests, just not when I'm sick.

GinnyGin- No, I wasn't being sarcastic… unless of course you wanted me to be so you could pretend I was Snape. (Most of us Snape fans have a thing for sarcasm) and though I am a female and completely straight… okay, so I can't really be Snape for you. I wouldn't want to be either. If I was Snape, than I couldn't grope him… unless I groped myself and… yea… I should stop before I get myself too deep.

Meenyrocks- Someone envys me? Wow! I never thought the day would come.


	8. A snowball or two

I'm back! Please, please forgive me for this long wait. I've had things to do and people to do. And then I wrote it, at about half this length and was going to past in on another computer, but that computer was a stupid apple and would not let me post for some reason. I was so surprised when I looked on my review page and saw that it went over 100! Thank you all so much! Anyway, here is this chapter. I'm really, really sorry and I hope that no wait like this will ever happen again.

Charmed as a Bleeding Rose

Chapter 8

By: _Allore NightShadow_

The world was quiet.

There was no sound anywhere.

All Hermione could hear was the motion of the water in the lake as it moved against its banks.

It was quiet.

There was no talking.

Harry and Ron were not playing exploding snaps.

Everything was silent.

Bloody hell! Hermione was at her wit's end. All she wanted was some peace and quiet so that she could study, but no… Just because tomorrow was the day that everyone would be going home for Christmas holidays was no reason for everyone to slack off with their school work. Better yet, it was no reason to create an environment in which Hermione could not study and do her homework.

Harry and Ron were playing exploding chess after having given up on their chess game after a very loud argument about cheating and who, exactly, had cheated. Neither had seen Crookshanks bat at a couple of the pieces and the animate chess pieces in return move away to a different square in order to avoid the large paws.

Neville was running around screaming for his from to "Get back here!"

Lavender and Paverti were giggling and squealing about some gossip or another.

Alistar was…

Alistar was sitting obtrusively on top of the book she was currently trying to study from.

"Will you move already?" She said crossly.

He only grinned in return. "No."

"Excuse me?"

"You are going home tomorrow and promised to play with me today."

Hermione sighed at the promise she had made. Closing her book, Hermione went to her room and when she came back down to the common room, unnoticed due to the obnoxiously loud room, she was wearing a heavy cloak lined with fur. Alistar had done what no other had managed to do before, make Hermione put down her schoolwork in favor of playing.

"Hey Hermione," Ron called when she reached the door. "Where are you going?"

"Outside!" She yelled back across the room. It was a wonder anyone was able to hear anything in all in all this noise. Hermione had to yell at the top of her voice to even hear herself think.

She was not sure whether Ron heard her or not, but instead of waiting to find out, Hermione ducked out of the common room. She didn't want to risk Ron deciding to come with them. What would he say when he saw her talking and playing with someone he could not see?

Hermione and Alistar walked together towards the entrance hall, during which Alistar was suddenly wearing a heavy cloak no much unlike Hermione's. She passed Professor Snape in the entrance hall and when Hermione pulled open the doors, he chose to speak.

"It is snowing outside, Miss Granger." He meant it as a warning. That it was cold and wet and that id she must go outside, perhaps she should wait until it stopped snowing. Severus Snape had never been good with words.

Hermione only smile brighter at the thought of all the snow. Severus swept away in his usual way, though perhaps not with quite so much vigor in his stride as was usual when he stalked the halls. He seemed so much more tame around her since he had learned that she had Hogwarts watching out for her.

"Call him, Hermione." Alistar told Hermione.

"What? Why?"

"Just do it." Hermione was hesitant, but did as she was told. She had a very hard time refusing when Alistar asked her to do something.

"Professor Snape!"

Professor Snape stopped in his stride and turned back towards Hermione… only to be hit in the face with a snowball.

He gaped at her…

She stared at him…

And Alistar's laughter bounced through the halls… except Hermione was the only one who heard it.

Instead of staying to face his wrath, because it was obvious that he would think that she had thrown the snowball since he clearly could not see Alistar, she ran out pf the door and into the snow.

Severus stared after her in shock. After a moment he shook himself out of his stupor, whipped the snow off his face and walked out. He was too shock to glare at Minerva as she passed and stared at the snow the was still stuck to the outside of his robes.

(o)

"Do it, Hermione." Alistar insisted of Hermione.

"I will not."

"Please? I am not going to let you go unless you do it." He stood in front of the carriage door with his arms crossed, clearly unwilling to move until Hermione did what he had asked of her.

"Come on. Don't make me." Alistar refused to move. "Fine." Hermione bent down and picked up a handful of snow.

"Professor Snape!" She called, much like she had done the day before. He should have learned, should have wondered why Hermione would call him of all people, but he didn't.

Professor Snape turned towards Hermione and she threw the snowball.

It hit him in the same was Alistar's snowball had hit him.

He stared at her, shocked to the core. She had hit him twice! Twice!

She turned red under his stare and ducked into the carriage. It moved into motion immediately after the door was closed.

Alistar grinned and decided that Severus Snape wasn't as bad as he had originally concluded.

(o)

"Mum! I'm home!" Hermione called into her mother's home. The house was silent for a moment as Mrs. Granger finished whatever it was that she was doing and entered the living room where Hermione was standing.

Her mother looked somber when she met Hermione. When Hermione saw the man who walked in after her, she understood why.

He grinned at her.

(o)

Albus waited until all of the teachers entered the room before he began the meeting. The first to enter was Severus Snape. He was always the first to enter so that he could remain unnoticed in the shadows of the room. The habits of a spy were hard, and sometimes deadly, to break. The last to enter was Flora Sprout. She rushed through the door, muttering some apology about needing to finish potting one of her plants.

Severus sneered at her from his corner, but she only smiled in return.

"Alright, let us start this meeting." Albus Dumbledore began and waited a moment for Professor Sprout to get settled in her preferred chair, the one near the window.

"First I would like to point out that we are having students skip classes. I don't care what you do to stop it, hand out detention, visit them while they are supposed to be in your class, I don't care. Stop it."

The other teachers nodded in understanding. When Severus looked around, he wondered if he was the only teacher not to have to students skipping out on the class. Maybe they were all too afraid of him? If that was so, than he was doing his job right.

"We also seem to have had an outbreak of joke products from the Weasley Twins' new store. I want the heads of houses to give the students a warning about having these items and after January, if these items are seen, you are to have them confiscated and the student in question is to be put in detention."

Most of the staff nodded their heads. Severus Snape simply glowered. None of his Slytherins would dare use a joke product, and if they did, they had bloody well not get caught.

The meeting went on with such things for a while, warnings of this, comments about that. Most of it was the same in every meeting or issues that had not yet and likely never would be solved.

"There is one new thing." Albus said. "We are having a student transferred here from Salem School of Witchcraft. I know it is unusual, but the boy's father insisted. You see, he is the son of the… Principal there and there seems to a problem with authority. I doubt that is the reason, so keep your eyes open. He'll arrive here within the week the student return from Christmas break. You'll find his file in the teachers lounge. They are also going to be sending a replacement Defense against the Dark Arts teacher with the new student as our own Professor Yuki has turned in her resignation slip and refuses to finish out the school year. Is there any other business?"

Most of the room stood up and prepared to leave. When Albus was done talking, everybody usually just wanted to get out of the room.

As luck would have it, Minerva spoke up. Everyone sighed and sat back down.

"Hermione Granger's missing." Suddenly the room was paying attention, even Severus who was known to care less. "Her presence isn't at her home and hasn't been there for three days. After widening our search, Hermione Granger was still missing. Her parents simply said that she wasn't there and refused to talk to us. I would like someone to go an find her. It's likely that she's just visiting someone, but you can never be too careful in this day and age. Who would like to check up on her?"

Everyone was surprised when Severus stood up and began walking towards the door. "I'll find her." He said and then left the room

Albus looked at Minerva in surprise, but she just shrugged. Nothing was more perplexing than Severus Snape.

(o)

Allore NightShadow

What did you think of the snowball in the face? Alistar is a mischievous little bugger. You would think that he wasn't thousands of years old. But, he is still a child at heart.

I'm really, really, really sorry I took so long to update. Also, I was going to put a shorter chapter up a week ago, but it turns out that the apple computers are conspiring to ruin my life. I could not upload from that computer and could not send it to another computer so I had to re-type the ENTIRE thing. I know this is no excuse for such a long wait, but I had SAT's and AP test and all those other good things that take up time and help you procrastinate for other things. I promise my next chapter wont take as long. Promise.

I know that review responses don't really apply after such a long wait, but I'm going to put them up anyway in the hopes that my reviewers love me and have not given up on me and this story.

Thanks to:

Sporty12gd4u

Majestic- maybe you'll see her cry later

Natsuyori- I love Naruto! One of my favorite animes. I just bought episode 1-124 so I can watch it over and over and over again.

Weardpeopleandthepickle- It was an error that I went back and re-uploaded immediately, but didn't seem to reflect on the site for… too long.

Meenyrocks

Slave4severus

Forestfire

Indil Elondili

GinnyGin- Everyone seems to love Alistar so much. He's just so lovable and a bit misceavious, okay, more than a bit. I really am not sure how long this will be as I only have it parially mapped out in my mind.

Water to Ice- he will in all likelyhood resume teaching her in a later chapter, unless, of course, he is being particularily stubborn and refuses to do it. He does that sometimes.

Tallgiraffe23

Crisscrossacross

Xssith- this was probably too much patience to excercise

Miss Elvira Dark

Ravensongbird

Chatal J


	9. A little backround OR to be seen

I am very cross with myself and that little Severus that resides in my head wont shut up. I'm sure my fellow authors know the feeling. As I took so long to get out my last chapter out, I forgot some details and parts of the story that I wanted to get into the last chapter. I shall have to improvise because I refuse to remove the last chapter. It happens. I will also try harder to watch out for my spelling. Maybe I should watch the computer screen instead of my anime while I type. (grins and ducks away from items that my altar ego throws at me.) Here I go. Watch out for more complications.

Charmed as a Bleeding Rose

Chapter 9

By: _Allore NightShadow_

As Severus Snape walked, not stalked, from the meeting, Minerva ran to catch up with him.

"Severus!" She called, and he slowed his pace so that she could catch up. "Her parents refuse to speak to us. They know something, but short of magic, there is really nothing we can do. This has happened before as well. Once, she never arrived home for Christmas break, though she left the grounds. At another time, she left her house for school a week before it began. She always returns, but I'm worried. I never would have mentioned it, but in these times, it is not wise to go somewhere that is not protected. Hermione is well known as a friend of Harry Potter and I want people watching out for her. I would appreciate it if you would stay with her if you cant get her to return right away."

There was something nagging at Severus' mind. Something about a teacher being sent after Hermione didn't add up. If she had wanted someone to keep an eye on Hermione, she never would have announced to the entire staff that she had gone missing.

"You are making excuses, Minerva. There is something you are not telling me?" It was a question as much as it was a probe for more information.

"I went to her parents' home. She had not returned my owls. You see, I was going to request that she come back to Hogwarts early because of…" She paused a moment and gave Severus a pointed look. "…because of something you said."

Severus nodded. At the last Order meeting, he had reported that Voldemort was planning to start attacking the students. There had been extra spells placed on the students' homes, they were told that it would be dangerous to travel and it was highly recommended that they stay at school during the holidays if it was possible. He understood why she was worried now more than she had been when Hermione had supposedly gone missing before.

Minerva continued. "When I got there, the father answered the door. Told me that Hermione was wasn't there and slammed the door in my face. I heard shouting from the other side of the door. Hermione's father yelled 'You let that man in my house?' and her mother replied 'What was I supposed to do? He came in here, waving that magic stick in my face and demanded that Hermione come with him or else. I couldn't very well tell him to get out.' It makes me worried for Hermione."

Severus nodded and began to walk away again. Where to start? The first question was who that man was, why he wanted Hermione, and where he took her. The parents' house would likely be the best place to get answers.

He walked to the edge of Hogwarts grounds and apparated to the center of the Granger's living room. Who cared if they were muggles and it was more than likely that he would scare the shit out of them.

As it turned out, the Grangers were not home at the moment. He did not have to wait long though. Not a minute after Severus apparated into the room, a set of keys was put into the front door lock from the outside and the door opened. Severus would never understand why muggles used keys. It couldn't be very hard for another person to get inside the house.

"Who are you?" Mr. Granger yelled once he spotted the black clad man in his living room. He went silent when he noticed the wand in the man's hand.

"I am Professor Snape from Hermione's school. I would like to know where she is." Best not to let them know that their conversation had been overheard.

"She's not here, now get out of my house." Mr. Granger said bravely. A moment later he shrunk back, nearly hiding behind his wife, when Severus rounded on him.

"You misunderstand me." He growled. "You will tell me where Hermione is or who she is with. There is no other option."

Mr. Granger refused to speak, but his wife answered instead. "She was taken by a man who you might find on the grounds of Salem school. Now will you please leave? You are upsetting my husband."

Severus glared at the woman disapperated. They didn't seem to care that their daughter was taken to… it took a moment before he realized that they had mentioned that this man (and as he had taken Hermione, her too) was to be found in America. America! He didn't want to go there. No choice but to go anyway, he apparated to Salem School of Witchcraft. At least she probably was not hurt if she was on the school grounds.

He apparated into an area not far from the buildings that made up the school. Americans must not be very intelligent. How were the supposed to defend their school if the school consisted of so many separate buildings. They would be invaded in moments.

He stopped the first person he came across with a deadly glare. "Where is Hermione Granger?"

"Who?" The man asked, but then Severus's English registered. "Oh, her. That large house on the far right." He had the worst accent Severus had ever heard.

He stalked to the house mentioned and with a quick spell to disable the ward on the house, entered.

He was faced with a wand pointed towards him and look so cold that Severus felt for a moment he was looking in a mirror. In a moment, his wand was pointed at the other man and the infamous Severus Snape glare was put in place.

"What do you want?" The other man demanded. He was as tall as Severus himself and almost as thin, though where Severus' hair was black, this man's hair was dark auburn and where Severus had black eyes, this man had blue.

"Where is Hermione?"

The other man grew more fierce. "What do you want with her?"

Severus didn't say anything. They glared at each other, wands raised at each other, still as statues. Anyone who came upon them would have ducked for cover, that is, anyone who happened to come upon them except the one person who did come upon them.

"Who are you threatening now, Alex?" The person who walked in was Hermione.

It was a very self sure man who could lower his wand while faced down with another. The man called Alex did just this. His eyes lightened and completely turned his attention away from Severus as if he were no threat at all. He placed his arm around Hermione's shoulders with an ease that Severus almost felt a pang of jealousy for. Almost, but not quite.

"Oh! Professor Snape!" She seemed surprised.

"You know this man?" The man Hermione had called Alex asked.

Hermione nodded. "He is one of my Professors."

The man lost his defensive stance and walked from the room.

"You must forgive Alexandros." Said another older man. This man was probably ten years Severus' senior. "He is very protective of Hermione. You must be the mad English man that the Transfiguration teacher said was stalking the grounds, looking for Hermione." He smiled warmly in a way that would make most overlook the wand firmly grasped in his hand. Severus Snape was not most.

"Severus Snape?" He questioned and Severus nodded in response.

Instead of waiting for Severus to ask how he knew, the man told. "I've read your articles." He then directed his speech to Hermione. "He's your potions teacher?" She nodded.

"My name is Helios. I'm Hermione's father."

That was a shock Severus didn't see coming. He had been under the impression that Hermione's parents were the Granger's and that she was a muggleborn. Apparently that was not so. Curious.

"Let me show you to a room you can stay in." He said, and put his wand away, still smiling brightly. He walked past Severus and in a voice that was just load enough that Severus could hear he said, "If you make Hermione cry again, I'll kill you." Helios was still smiling.

For a moment Severus didn't know what the man was referring to._ "I see no difference." _Severus almost regretted saying those words as he followed after this man.

Helios walked further into the house and up a set of steps.

"That door at the end of the hall is a room that you may stay in should you wish, but first I should wish to speak with you." He opened the first door at the top of the steps and stood in such a way as to give Severus no choice but to enter the room.

He was reminded of the headmasters office. The place was large enough, but so cluttered with magical objects that you wouldn't call the room large. Sitting on the center of the desk was a large black cat, the size of a German Shepherd, with a split tail. As the creature cleaned itself, fire jumped from its mouth to its fur. When it looked up, Severus saw that its eyes shifted colors between red, blue and yellow.

"They call it a sun spot." Helios said, noticing Severus' attention on the feline. "It is named that way because of the way the fire licks its fur when it gets angry. Vicious creatures, nasty tempered too." Severus was sure there was a well concealed threat in that statement.

"Please take a seat." He said to Severus, and then to the cat he said, "Raissa, off the table." The feline gave him that bored look that all felines have mastered and moved off the table at a leisurely pace. It jumped to the floor and sat behind Severus.

The cat behind him, actually anything behind him, made him nervous, but Severus refused to show it.

"Now tell me why you are here, Potions Master, and you had better make it good."

(o)

Hogwarts had been oddly subdued over the holidays. The staircases didn't switch as often as the usually did and there was no sudden appearances (or disappearances) of places. There were no cleverly disguised traps, nobody got lost, and even the trick steps that everyone knew about didn't catch the unfortunate student who happened to step on it.

It wasn't the focus of everyone's attention, but nearly everyone commented on it, even Albus Dumbledore. "And the staircase had been right where I left it!" He had exclaimed, arms waving extravagantly.

Nobody knew why this was except for Hogwarts himself.

"See me." He commanded to some passerby. "See me." He concentrated on becoming corporeal, or at least corporeal enough to be seen, but the passerby, a Hufflepuff third year who had stayed at the school over Winter break, continued by unknowingly. "Damn it!" He yelled to the air, frustrated. He then disappeared.

Alistar never noticed the Hufflepuff student look around for the person who had yelled out and then shake his head as if he were imagining things.

As the days went by, more and more people heard a strange little boy talking and one or two even saw a strange little boy running through the halls. Alistar never knew.

(o)

The conversation between Helios and Severus grew beyond the scope of the first question until Severus was telling him about the private lessons he had given Hermione. Helios would have made and excellent interrogator.

"I had thought that wouldn't happen for another year or so." At Severus's questioning look, Helios decided to elaborate. "Perhaps I should start from the beginning."

"You see, Hermione's mother is a non-magical product of a muggle born and a muggle. I suppose the non-magical genes were too strong for the magic to carry into their child. I married her and we had our children. They were very magically gifted, moving things around and making things appear. We stopped getting along after an affair her mother had and we got divorced. Hermione went with her mother.

"The problem was, this time was the height of That Voldmort's reign. We had moved here because he hadn't yet set his sights on America, but Hermione's mother was going to take her back to England.

"They had magic detectors than, to scope out potential enemies. If the child's family were sympathetic to the dark lord, the child was pledged to their cause from the cradle, it they were against the dark lord, the child was either killed or, if it was too dangerous to kill the child, placed under a powerful binding spell. I emulated those binding spells for Hermione."

Severus looked at this man before him with concealed suspicion. How could he know about the dark lord using magic detectors?

"With this binding in place," he continued, "these spells would overlook her. An unfortunate consequence is that any un-channeled magic is largely unstable and channeled magic is limited to the small. It was designed to be overcome when Hermione came of age."

Severus eyed the cat that had come to sit in front of him instead. The feline gave him a lazy look before falling into a light sleep.

"Would it not have been more practical to create a binding that was less permanent? Something you could have removed when the threat of the dark lord passed?" Severus asked, ever practical and slightly intrigued. That someone could have come up with such a simple way to stay out of Voldemort's views.

"Perhaps more practical, but it would not have worked. My family produces Wizards with greatly varying power specialties, often very concentrated abilities, if not always abnormally powerful. In all likelihood, Hermione would have broken a lesser binding, and I'm sure you are aware that a forceful breaking of a binding is often deadly. Either the power discharge would be great enough to attract every Death Eater for miles or the snap back of the power would have killed her. As it is, I'm surprised that she had already started to force it, abate unknowingly. I am slightly put off that someone would have removed this binding. Well, perhaps if you didn't poison her, she wouldn't have started the struggle so early." The man shrugged, clearly not meaning to insult the other man.

"What is this power that she has?" Severus asked. He didn't like to be surprised.

The older man shrugged. "I'm sure you'll find out in the next month or so."

(o)

Yay! Two days! Only two days! Well, it was two days, but I didn't get to posting last night. This is to make up for the long, long, long wait for my last chapter. I hope you like this. This chapter was more information than story line and I almost left more questions than those answered… even if you didn't recognize the questions. I have the next chapter planned out, so it shouldn't be too long.

You will soon meet the new Defense against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Athan, and the newest student, Artemis Athan. Don't worry, they won't overshadow the main characters, they will just help to carry this story along.

Thank you to all my reviewers, and all those who didn't review.

Zenni- That man was her father. You'll find out soon why the Grangers reacted that way.

GinnyGin- It is a derivative from a Greek name meaning Avenger. Most of my own characters names are Greek to fit in with Rowling's World where many of the characters represent the god they are named after (i.e. Minerva). If you would like to know the meanings of the other names in the story once the characters are introduced (I think all but one are already introduced) just tell me. Thanks also for being so faithful to this story and not giving up on me after that long wait.

Fiwoo- You don't think Dumbledore might have had to be harsh in order to get through the last war? What is it, do you think, that makes him one of the most feared wizards? His Lemon Drops?

Lily of the Shadow- The teasers I give at the end of the chapter (or the beginning) are not necessarily to give you hints, but to keep me on track. I tend to try and do too many things and loose track of myself. I will try to cut back, though.

Natsuyori- I have downloaded them off of bitorrent. I'm on episode 133. I just wanted to buy it (I got it cheap) so that I could be able to watch it over and over and over again. I only have so much space on my computer and CDs tend to get lost or scratched (or my sister eats them.

Meenyrocks- I'm really sorry for the mistakes, I'm trying to watch that. And Neville was running after his frog.

Thanks also to:

Chantal J

BlackRoseGirl

Tiger witch

40/16

F75

Weardpeopleandthepickle

Papu

Bookxluver

Watergoddesskasey

Anorake

Severus-Fan

Ayla3baby

Winter Fae

USAFroggie87

Azura14

Pureangel86

ILoveBillyJoe

Please comment or critique.


	10. Spiteful

I am so sorry! I didn't mean to take this long to update! Please forgive this unworthy one! But really, I had finals and other school related things and I forgot. It's summer, so I should be able to keep a constant updating schedule, but I really can't promise anything because I'm lazy. Also, I'm just finishing my first novel, so I might be spending time doing that. I want to get published! Okay, I understand that this just sounds like a load of excuses. I'll try, I promise.

Oh, I forgot my disclaimer the past few chapters. Achem…- The Harry Potter series in no way belongs to me. I'm just borrowing them. They will be returned, if not completely sane. Sanity was not in the contract. :speaks to lawyer: You mean sanity was in the contract! Damn! Any of you know a really good therapist to return sanity to these characters?

Charmed as a Bleeding Rose

Chapter 10

_By: Allore NightShadow_

Hermione knocked on the room she had been told would be Professor Snape's. She waited a moment for him to answer and then went to knock again. The door opened before she had a chance to knock and so she stood there for a moment with her hand in the air.

"Miss Granger." He acknowledged.

"I'm sorry you had to come all the way out here." She said hurriedly.

Severus raised an eyebrow at her. "Indeed."

Hermione looked up at him carefully, making sure that he wasn't angry, before she continued speaking. "Would you like to see the potion's lab?"

Severus looked at Hermione for a moment before inclining his head and stepping out from the room that he had been set to.

Hermione took this for a yes. She had come to learn that Professor Snape was not one for more words than were necessary.

She led him outside and past the many buildings to the one on the farthest side of the school grounds. Alexandros followed silently behind and had Severus been anyone else, he wouldn't have know, but as it was, he was just annoyed at the man.

The building that Hermione led him to was a large one, perhaps the oldest in the area. She pulled out a key to unlock the door and locked it firmly again behind them. They were in a long hallway with only four doors. Hermione opened the first door on the right and led Severus through it.

"This is the Potions Classroom."

The room lit magically as soon as they stepped into the room. Though it was light outside, the room was lit only by the magical illumination. There were no windows in a healthy potions room because many ingredients were ruined by sunlight. This one was no different. There were tables set in a circle around the room with chairs on the inside so that the students would have to face the wall and be unable to see each other. Severus could see how this would be a beneficial learning environment. The teacher could stand in the center of the room and overlook each potion and each student without it being known who exactly they were watching.

Hermione continued walking to the other side of the room and opened a door behind the teacher's desk.

Severus followed Hermione at a brisk pace, not used to following others. He looked into the room that Hermione blocked and could feel his eyes open in shock. The tinted glass jars holding the different ingredients must have cost one hundred galleons each.

Severus swept in and surveyed the room.

Hermione smiled as she saw the way her feared potions master ran his fingers over everything in the room so delicately, the way he softened ever so slightly, and the twinkle of excitement that gleamed, most likely unknown, through his eyes.

"This is the potion master's laboratory?" Severus inquired.

"No, mine." Hermione replied.

Severus looked at her for a long moment.

"Feel free to use anything in the room."

Once again, Severus looked at the girl before him, trying to find any sign of alternate motive, but found none. In moves swift with practice, Severus set up equipment to his liking.

"Why have you not mentioned your father to Dumbledore?" Severus said, still focused on the potion he was brewing.

"Nobody ever asked." Severus looked up to stare at Hermione for a long moment. She began to fidget under his steady stare. "My parents don't get along. I fail to mention my father because it upsets my mother. I visit my father on school holidays and I'm afraid that if I mention it to anyone, that it will get back to my mother. She may live in the muggle world, surround herself with the muggle world, but she knows how to enact a magical contract. I am required, by the terms of my parents divorce, to live the years I am schooled with my mother and by the terms she added, forbidden to stay with my father. As long as my mother does not know, she will not magically bind me to the terms of her divorce."

Severus paused in the splitting of the beetle eyes that he was going to use for the potion he was making.

"Do you believe that your mother would really enact a magical binding to keep you from your father?"

Hermione stared at him for a moment, her eyes serious and hateful for a moment. When that moment passed, the look was gone and Severus had to wonder if that jaded look was all in his mind.

"My mother would give me to my father if she were able, but my mother has a terrible sense of spite. If she is forced to keep me, then she alone will keep me and my father would not be allowed to see me. I am not a daughter, I am a means to taunt the man she once called husband."

"Then why did she let you leave today? Your mother knew who you would be with."

Hermione closed her eyes briefly before opening them again and facing the question. "My mother would never appear to know anything magical in front of her dear muggle husband."

Severus looked at Hermione to see her jaw clenched and her nails biting into her palms so hard that her knuckles were turning white. Not knowing what made him do it, Severus moved his hand out to touch her hand. Ever so slowly her hand relaxed and then she pulled away as if nothing had happened.

(o)

One week went by at Salem School before Hermione was ready to return. It was a week in Hermione's laboratory, a week of avoiding Alexandros and a week of one large feline following Severus around. It seemed as if Raissa had taken a liking to him. Crookshanks, ever the wise animal, watched Severus like a hawk.

They were at the apparition point when Severus thought of something. "There is supposed to be a teacher and student from this school coming to Hogwarts. So you know anything of this?"

Hermione wouldn't meet his eyes. "Yes, I was told. They'll come the night before classes start."

He held out his hand for her.

Hermione looked at his hand as if it would bite her.

"Take my hand, Miss Granger." Hermione continued to look at the appendage as if it were the embodiment of evil. "Miss Granger, we a apparating back to Hogwarts. Unless you have illegally learned to apparate, in which case I would recommend that you not let me find out, you need to take my hand so that we can apparate."

Hermione nodded and gingerly placed her hand on top of his.

They apparated.

(o)

It was on day before the Hogwart's Express returned with all the students in tow. It was another before the new teacher arrived with the new student in tow.

The dining hall was loud with many different people speaking, all of them trying to speak load enough to be heard, so in effect, the volume of the room kept rising and rising. As this was normal at Hogwarts, nobody mentioned anything or asked anyone to be quieter.

Professor Dumbledore waited until the last of the food was finished and sent back down to the kitchens for the house elves to clean up before he began his announcement. He stood and shot a few rainbow colored sparks into the air to catch the students attention and waited until the hall fell silent. Albus Dumbledore may have been old, but he was as much of a child as many of the students of Hogwarts. Sometimes children responded better to other children than they did to the adults trying to run their lives.

"I would like to make a few announcements. First, I'm sure you all remember our dear Professor Yuki who ran screaming from our halls before you were let out on holiday. I'm sure you are all going to regret not having Professor Snape continue taking over you Defense against the Dark Arts class," There were a few well placed snickers throughout the hall and one loud "Yeah bloody right!" from somewhere in the vicinity of the Gryffindor table, "but we have found a replacement."

Professor Dumbledore motion to someone on the teachers entrance. He had dark auburn hair and blue eyes, was tall and thin. He was also unnaturally young for a teacher; he didn't look more than twenty-five. It was this last attribute that elicited the hoots and yells from the females of Hogwarts. They may be divided by houses, but they would not let a little thing like house rivalries keep them from ogling a handsome male.

Professor Dumbledore waited until the girl quieted down on there own before continuing. "This is Professor Alexandros Athan."

Severus had been ignoring the man before he mentioned the name. It could be a coincidence, could be, but Severus never believed in coincidences. He looked up into the grinning face of Alexandros. A scowl flew across his face as he searched the room for Hermione. When he found her at the end of the Gryffindor table she looked around as if she felt his eyes on her and then met his eyes. She shrugged and went on the ignoring her surly professor.

"With Professor Athan comes his nephew Artemis Athan, who will be joining us for the remainder of his seventh year. Both come from Salem School of Witchcraft." There were a few shouts of "Bloody Americans!" as well as a few groans from the crowd.

A tall male entered from the same door that Alexandros had entered. He was lean, not lank as his uncle had been, but clearly not sporting an ounce of fat. He was muscular, but in that way that was pure genetics, something he obviously didn't have to try for.

While his eyes were brown instead of the bright blue of his uncle's, his hair was the same color, though Artemis's hair was grown past his shoulders (and held back with a hair tie) and Alexandros's didn't fall past his ears. There was a resemblance in facial features, especially because their ages were so close together, but the resemblance was such that is was easily ignored.

"We would have sorted him in front of everyone, but Mister Athan insisted it be done immediately. He has been sorted into Slytherin."

The Slytherin house cheered, though the girls were perhaps the most inviting.

"Just what we need," Ron grumbled from beside Hermione, "Another Slytherin."

Hermione rounded on Ron. "Will you shut up! It's just a house."

Ron looked at Harry over Hermione, but he just shrugged. Neither knew what had crawled up Hermione's ass, though Harry was willing to bet that it was PMS and Ron stayed blissfully ignorant.

From across the hall, Artemis sought Hermione's eye and when he caught it, he grinned widely.

When Hermione turned back to her table, she was shocked to find Alistar standing next to her.

"Somebody's keeping secrets." He taunted.

(o)

Allore NightShadow

(o)

I really wanted to make this longer because of my long wait, but I couldn't think of anything else to write for this chapter. But, I do have the next three chapters nearly planned out, something I usually don't do, so it should not take as long for me to get out the next chapters as it took for this one. I hope I have not lost any readers during this long wait.

NOTE TO FLUFF SEEERS: I know that this story has been short of actual romance, and it is in the romance category, but I need to have plot, extensive plot. You'll be happy to know that I got most of my beginning plot out and there will be real romance (sort of) within the next few chapter. Love is in the air…. Or at least… well, I am really not sure what, exactly, is in the air.

Thanks to my reviewers:

Meenyrocks- The point of introducing Hermione's father is to help move along my plotline. Truthfully, I could have not put him there, but that little Hermione in my head told me to. I don't have any idea what she has planned.

GinnyGin- Actually, I have seen stories with American transfer students before. I needed to make this character form somewhere, and America is the place that I know best, though he's not really from America…. Never mind, forget I said anything. Bad Allore, bad, what have I told you about giving out plot hints. BAD!

Spike1368- She is powerful enough to still be believable. I hate those all powerful, suddenly they are stronger than everyone characters.

Natsuyori- Well, your hard drive must be larger than mine. I ran out of room after fifty episodes.

MagickAlianne- I have problems keeping my priorities in order. I update when I'm able and when that little Severus and Hermione make me.

Lily of the Shadow- I hope this explains things for you.

Also, thanks to…

SamSnape18

Watergodesskasey

Severus-Fan

Ayla3baby

Chantal J

Lu Ling Qi

Ariana the musical genius

Indil Elondili

Padfoot'smoon

LightofTitania

Psychoravenclaw

MORE!- nice name, it says it all.

Thanks again to everyone who read my story, even those who don't or can't review.

You know, it surprises me how many Harry Potter fans like anime as well. Is this just another wonder of the world?

Allore NightShadow


	11. Allies

I doubt that any of my readers from my last update are still out there, but this was the point where I finished reading the 6th book, lost all inspiration for writing and simply posted what I had written before I read the book. I can't believe it's been nearly two years. Also, let me just apologize now for any inconsistency in my story from this point onward. I completely forgot most of the plot I had planned so the story kind of has to write itself from now on. Anyway, here goes.

**Charmed as a Bleeding Rose**

Chapter 11

By: _Allore NightShadow_

The Gryffindor common room was a place where the greatest sceames were thought up. It was a place where the rowdiest of Hogwarts gathered. It was a place to let loose and have fun. If you wanted to be alone, it was not the place to be.

Hermione had foolishly sat in the Gryffindor common room. She should have known better. Perhaps if she had thought to go somewhere else, she wouldn't have gotten as angry as she was, but Hermione had a soft spot when it came to Harry and Ron… usually. She wouldn't have been as nice about her rebuke if she didn't have a soft spot for them… nice as in a lioness only mauling them instead of ripping their throats out.

"I've had enough of this foolishness! If I hear another bad word about Slytherins, By Merlin's beard, I'm going to hex you. Do you understand me? Ronald? Harry?"

Harry nodded immediately, but then again, he also had more sense than Ron.

"But Hermione, we were only taking about-…" Hermione rounded on Ron.

"Ronald Weasley!" Hermione yelled and Ron winced as he was suddenly reminded of his mother. "You will do as I say, or else! Do you understand me? One more word about the Slytherins, or any other house for that matter, and you will regret it."

Ron nodded solemnly. He waited until Hermione resumed her seat in front of the fire (a first year had practically ran from the seat when he saw Hermione heading towards it) before whispering to Harry.

"I always told you our Hermione was scary. Could probably compete with Snape, that one could, if she wasn't so bloody respectful." Harry nodded in agreement.

(o)

Hermione was steaming. How dare they disrespect other student simply for being in another house? She would have thought that most of the other students would have gotten over this house oriented rivalry, but they didn't. She seemed to be the only one who thought that it was all childish, especially at their age.

She would have continued to be mad if Alistar hadn't decided that then was the most opportune moment to appear before her.

"How were you while I was gone?" Hermione asked him quietly, so as not to attract attention to herself.

She was surprised when Alistar's eyes turned sad. Hermione wasn't sure what to do and so she opened her arms so that he could come to her.

It was a surprise to Hermione when she found that he was able to sit on her lap and cuddle into her arms. They had tried this before and while Alistar was able to hold a semi corpireal form for a period of time so that Hermione could touch him, it didn't hold strong for long enough. Though she wondered at his sudden ability to remain solid, Hermione chose not to ask.

"I missed you." Alistar said at last, burrowing deeper into Hermione's lap. "I was lonely."

Hermione had nothing to say to that admission. What could she say? I'm sorry that I'm the only person who can see you, but I wanted to go home, so you just have to deal with being alone. Hermione was sure that there were nicer ways to say it, but she could not think of such things.

"I'm here now." Was what Hermione finally settled on.

By mere luck, nobody had seen Hermione holding what would have looked like an invisible boy in her arms. They were more focused on talking to their friends who they had not seen for two weeks or planning the mischief that they would wreak for the month. Gryffindor was the greatest of the mischief makers in Hogwarts. Many of the boys seemed determined to follow Fred and George Weasley's path into destructiveness.

(o)

Defense Against the Dark Arts was the class that everyone was waiting for. Many of the girls (and a few boys) were inspired because the teacher was a young handsome male. The rest were just curious. This was a new teacher who was starting in the middle of the year.

Curiosity killed the cat, as the saying goes, but maybe this cat would kill curiosity.

The Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom was empty when the first person entered and one by one the entire class entered, Slytherins on the right side and Gryffindors on the left. It wasn't a clear cut line, that was just the way it had always been. This had been decided sometime in first year during a potion's class that the two houses had together. Someone had taken the right and someone had taken the left and the rest had followed suit. This was now the way it was in every class that the 7th year Slytherin and Gryffindors had together.

Everyone was settled by the time Alexandros Athan entered the room ten minutes late. Well, he didn't so much as enter as walk to the front of the classroom from the back. He got a few strange looks.

"That was a spell of disinterest." He stated and walked to the front of the room. "It is a spell often used by spies to gather information. Many times it is used by teachers to sneak up on students." The student in the class had a sudden burst of realization at that, each wondering if the teachers at this school also used this spell.

"My name is Alex Athan, as you have no doubt heard. Yes, I was born and raised in America and if I hear one smart assed comment about my accent, you'll regret it, so lets keep this all politically correct. I am twenty-five. I have been teaching since I turned twenty. Don't try anything on me because you think I'm young, you'll regret it. Don't lie to me, you'll regret it." Alex was looking at his hand as he spoke, tapping a different finger with each thing he said, as if he were counting off.

"I haven't known you guys for six... and a half... years like most of you other teachers, so I want you to go around the room and tell me your name and your house. Lets start with you." Alex pointed at Draco Malfoy. He was at the far right, the same place he sat in potions.

Draco didn't seem happy about being forced to start, but did so anyway. They went up the row, and down the next. With each person, Alex's face became more thunderous. By the time the last person told their name and house, Ronald Weasely-Gryffindor, his eyes practically glowed with fury.

"What the hell is this crap? What is wrong with you people? Is this the way the children of the magical community behave? Segregation. Separation. Everyone in the second, fourth, sixth and eighth row, stand up now. Choose a chair on the other side of the room." Alex was silent as the students stood and did what they were told. He received some confused and some angry glances.

"Let me tell this to you straight. I don't believe that anyone is or had to be what others say they are. I am well aware what the house prejudices here are. Grffindors are a bunch of foolhardy idiots who do stupid things in the name of bravery. Slytherins are a bunch of deatheater wannabe's." The class starting protesting.

"Did I say you could talk! Shut up and let me finish!" Everyone was suddenly silent.

"This is a fucking war. The people next to you might just be the person to save your life. The enemy doesn't differentiate between Slytherin and Gryffindor. They differentiate between those who stand with them and against them. Would you force a fellow student to feel as if they had no choice but to stand with those who stand against you? I don't care whether you like or dislike the person next to you. From now until the time I leave, I don't want to hear one bad thing about another house. You'll regret it. While in my class you WILL associate with those in the opposite house from your own. I wont tell you how, but you will do it or you will regret it. Look around yourself at the people around you."

Nobody moved.

"I said look!" The students did as they were told.

"These are your allies. They don't have to be your friends, but they are your allies. They are the ones who will stand with you against what comes, side by side, wand to wand. There are students in this school, students of every house, I'm sure, maybe within this classroom, perhaps not, whose parents are deatheaters, or supporters of Voldemort, who will have no choice but to become what their parents are. If you continued this meaningless isolation, you are just helping their parents. You are pushing these students into Voldemort's hands and maybe that one just tipped the scales in his favor. Maybe that will be the one to kill your mother or your brother or you. This isn't a game. This is a war. There are no rules. Look at the person to either side of you. Would you rather fight them, all alone against them both, or would you rather stand together, all three of you, and crush any long being would stand against you."

The room was silent. This man had touched upon many a sore spot. Everybody was silent.

"Now that I believe you all understand me, I'm going to start today's lesson."

(o)

Hermione watched Alex speak in front of her class with amazement. She had known him almost as long as she had been alive and had never heard him speak this way before, with such passion.

Alistar stat on the desk in front of Hermione and clapped slowly. Apparently he was also impressed.

Alex opened a door that stood behind the front desk and a large black cat walked out, on with a split tail and fire licking it's eyes. It was Raissa.

The cat walked through the isles and students backed away as she passed. They were careful not to touch her. Apparently everyone had learned something in Care of Magical Creatures with Hagrid. If you don't know what it is, it's probably dangerous and you shouldn't touch it.

The cat walked over to Hermione's desk and stated at Alistar. Alistar stared back. Neather blinked. Suddenly Alistar was gone. Poof! No more.

Alex began talking. "I figured this was a good lesson to have since you will all be seeing Raissa around the castle. Raissa is a Sun Spot. A Sun Spot is a large relative of the feline species. They are said to have once been the guardian of the sun and can stand temperature as high as they are able to be tested. They are also a relative of the phoenix. Sun Spot's are extremely rare. They do not travel in packs. They have been known to attach themselves to a person or family and watch over them. Raissa has attached herself to my family and while she is not domesticated, she is an extremely intelligent creature and will not injure you. If she comes to you, you can touch her without fear of her biting or clawing you."

Alex looked at a hourglass on his desk that was just about halfway empty. "Today is going to be an easy lesson. Acquaint yourselves with Raissa. Threat her as you might a testy dog or cat. Approach her carefully and slowly and let her get to know you. If she shakes you off, chances are she doesn't want to be touched. You can all leave after you've introduced yourself to her. I would advise you to actually introduce yourself to her and not just leave. You don't want her to think that you don't belong here. You'd regret it."

Alex opened the door to the classroom and left. Left in the room was a class of students and one feline beast. They stared at the cat and one by one, approached it.

Allore NightShadow


	12. Dumbledore Denied

Charmed as a Bleeding Rose

Chapter 12

By: _Allore NightShadow_

(o)

"Where did you go during class, Alistar?" Hermione asked the boy sitting on her bed. He didn't usually disappear without saying goodbye.

"Ah, that. That cat could see me. They usually can." He said it like that should answer all her questions.

"Cat's can see you?" Hermione asked.

"Most of them can."

"But why did you leave?"

Alistar looked at Hermione carefully. Every so often he did this. He looked at her and it was as if he were not looking at her, but looking through her.

"Felines are often disturbed by my presence until they understand what I am. I did not want to cause the cat to become irritated while it was supposed to be acquainting itself with this school's children."

Every so often, Hermione realized, Alistar was suddenly an adult, or at least something that did not have the mentality of a child. It made Hermione weary.

"Would you like to be around Raissa?" Hermione asked the child. She sense sadness mixed with his practicality.

"It is unlikely that she would be comfortable near me."

"That isn't what I asked." Hermione stated. "I asked if you wanted to be able to be near her."

"Yes, but-..."

Hermione grabbed Alistar and pulled him to her in a great hug. "Just leave it to me."

Alistar nodded and wrapped his arms around Hermione.

Someone knocked at the door.

"Hermione! Are you in there?" Another knock.

Hermione dropped her hands from around Alistar, but he didn't let go. "Come one in, Harry."

Harry creaked the door open and peaked in before opening the door open all the way. "Studying, Hermione?"

"Yeah, something like that."

Harry cocked an eyebrow at Hermione, but knew better than to ask her to elaborate. He figured that she was probably doing research for one of her special projects. The last time he had called her on one of her vague answers, he was forced to listen to her for over an hour on the effectiveness and complications of transmogrification on vegetation.

"Anyway, Professor Dumbledore asked to see you. He's waiting in his office for you."

Hermone nudged Alistar off of her in a way that Harry wouldn't notice and then exited her room. Harry glanced into the room before closing it. He could have sworn he heard someone else in the room with her, but there was nobody there.

(o)

Hermione knocked on the headmaster's office and waited to be acknowledged before entering.

"You wanted to see me, Headmaster?"

"Ah, Miss Granger! There you are. I sent Mister Potter to find you, but he wasn't very confident that he would know where you were."

Hermione stayed by the door.

"Oh, come in. Take a seat." He pulled out a tin from a desk drawer and offered Hermione it's contents. "Candy?"

Hermione extended her hand to take to offered candy, but Alistar was suddenly in front of her, shaking his head and waving his hands to get his point across. Hermione understood that he didn't want her to take the candy, but didn't understand why. She would ask later. She retracted her hand.

"No thank you."

"Are you sure?"

"Quite."

Dumbledore closed the tin and placed it back in his desk drawer. He didn't take one for himself. It made Hermione suspicious. Maybe she was just thinking too hard. Maybe she was just looking for something to be wrong.

"I understand that Professor Snape has refused to continue training you." Dumbledore started.

"Yes, Headmaster."

"I believe that it is unwise to allow you to continue without training. In light of Professor Snape's temper tamntrum, I would like to offer myself in his place."

Alistar shook his head violently but didn't say anything. Hermione then looked at the headmaster carefully, unsure of why Alistar would be so adamant about her not working with him. There was a hard edge to the headmaster's eyes that she was not used to seeing, but otherwise he kept his features blessedly blank. Too blank. There was definitely something wrong here, but Hermione wasn't sure that she wanted to know.

"That's okay, Headmaster. I wouldn't want to add anymore to your schedule." Hermione tried the nice approach.

"No, I really must insist. It would be better for you if you had some extra training. As one of Mister Potter's closest friends, you are always in danger, and this is the best I can think of to keep you out of danger besides sending an auror out to trail out after you. Needless to say, you wouldn't want that." Hermione did actually see his point, but Alistar really was insistent.

"Look, Headmaster. Don't worry about it. I'll continue to study extra on my own. If I have any questions on what I'm doing, I'll come and ask you about it." Hermione stood and made her way to the office door.

"Miss Granger, I must insist that your training is observed and guided by someone of experience. In light of Professor Snape's refusal, I am the only one qualified to teach you." Hermione did not like his insistence, but she really did not like being so rude. He was only trying his best for her.

"I can ask Professor Athan to help me, alright? Or I'll talk to Professor Snape and see if I cant get him to agree to start training me again." Hermione tried to compromise with the old man.

"I will train you. They are not qualified to do so."

Hermione looked carefully at the elderly man before her. Now Professor Snape was not good enough either? Hermione had always known that there was a shrewd man underneath the guise of an elderly fool, but never had it been so apparent to Hermione. It was usually Harry who was the butt of his little games. Hermione did not appreciate being played with.

"Why are you so insistent that I train with _you_?" Hermione tried the direct approach.

"I suppose that it is not necessary for it to be me, per se, but both Professor Snape and Professor Alistar are busy with classes. But I must insist upon the necessity of your training. You must be better that your opponent, whoever that may be, and I dare say, though you are most knowledgeable, you are slightly below par in the actual application. All it takes is one slip up and you will be captured. It is through you that Voldemort and his followers will gain access to the inner workings of the side of light. It is through you that Harry will eventually be compromised."

Hermione was silent for a moment and let what he said sink in. "I see. So you're not worried about my safety, you're worried about Harry's life and your great plan. You say that I'm weak? Do you think that I would let anything happed to Harry? To Ron? To anybody that I cared about? I am NOT weak! I have never been weak." Hermione grasped the door handle and suddenly Dumbledore was there, wand out, and a locking spell on his lips.

"You are misunderstanding me, Miss Granger. You do not have a choice. You are not strong enough to say no. The first really enemy that comes along would take you down. They would torture you and you would tell them anything they wanted to know if only they would make the pain stop. But you could be strong. I could make you strong. You could be a powerful asset to the light."

Hermione whirled around and faced Dumbledore. "I would never be your tool. I am not weak." Hermione turned back towards the door and it shimmered away. She walked through the doorway and the door slammed back into being. A small boy then appeared from behind Dumbledore and followed Hermione, leaving the same way Hermione did.

Dumbledore stared at the door for a full minute.

(o)

Hermione was so angry that she could feel her magic boiling from inside her. It wanted an outlet, but Hermione kept a tight hold on it. She was so angry that she did not notice Alistar leaving and she did not notice Professor Snape in front of her.

She slammed into Severus Snape and continued on, not looking back as if she didn't care, or didn't realise that she had ran into anybody.

"Twenty points from..." Severus trailed off when he saw who it was that had hit him and then felt the enery coming off of her in waves.

Hermione stopped and turned back upon hearing her teacher's voice.

"Miss Granger, what ever is the matter?" Severus heard the question come out of his mouth and winced. He had sounded almost worried.

Hermione opened her mouth and closed it again when nothing came out. She was silent for a few moments and then opened her mouth again. Still nothing came out. She closed her mouth again and a tear trickled down her face and then another. She did not make a sound, but tear after tear began to fall.

Severus raised his hand as if he meant to comfort her, but lowered his hand back down. That was inappropriate. "Get a hold on yourself, Miss Granger."

Hermione looked up at him, eyes wide and the tears kept falling.

"I'm... I'm sorry, Professor."

He stared at her for a few more moments.

Hermione continued. "I just had a disturbing conversation. Forgive me, I just cant seem to make them stop. I don't understand why I'm crying."

Severus found himself speaking before he had made his mind up to speak. "If you would like to talk, my office is always open." Severus winced again.

Another voice broke in from the other side of the hall. "Hermione!" It was Professor Alex Athan. He approached them at a jog and upon seeing the tears falling down Hermione's face, took her in a hug.

He then rounded on Professor Snape. "What did you do to my Hermione?" He was indignant and arrogant.

Hermione spoke from where she was smothered in Alex's shirt. "It wasn't Professor Snape, Alex."

Alex took another look at Severus, as if he were looking for any excuse to start a fight with him, then turned all his attention on the girl clutched to his shirt. He put his arm around her and shuffled down the hall.

"Come on, Hermione, I'll make you some good, old fashioned coffee and you'll feel right as rain."

Severus glowered at Alex's back, not sure why he was so upset. There was something nagging in his gut about those two together. They were too close. It wasn't professional.

(o)

Severus returned to his office and locked the door behind him. There was something really bothering him about Professor Athan and Hermione. There was something between them that a professional should not have with his student. There was something...

Severus became distracted. There was a young boy sitting on his desk. He seemed about the age of one of the first years, but Severus knew every student in this school and this boy was not one of them.

"Who are you?" Severus demanded.

The boy ignored him.

Severus went to stand in front of the boy and demanded again, "Who are you?"

Alistar looked up at Severus. "Are you talking to me?"

"There isn't anyone else here."

Alistar's eye's widened. "You can see me?"

"Obviously."

Severus suddenly found his arms full of a young child. He had a feeling he knew who this was. This had to be the soul of Hogwarts. Hermione had said she had seen him, and while he believed her to a certain degree, he did not believe that he would ever be privy to seeing the being. Hermione was the only one in thousands and thousand of years to claim such a thing.

Severus found himself feeling an unfamiliar warmth towards the boy in his arms, something he had not felt towards a child before. It was a need to protect. A need to shelter. There was something decidedly innocent about this being that was as old as Hogwarts itself; this being that was Hogwarts itself. Old, but not jaded by that age. Old, but not grown. A being that clung to Severus with everything he had.

It was a few moments before the boy became insubstantial in Severus's arms.

"I am Alistar." The boy introduced himself.

Severus nodded.

"I'll make a deal with you." Alistar stated.

Severus was curious. "Go ahead."

"I have watched you for many years. I know you as well as I know any of Hogwart's residents. I know the kind of person you are. If you weren't a good person, I would not have allowed you access to Obsidian Heart. I know that your injury of Hermione was accidental. Even so, you have distanced yourself from her since then. With you she is safer. She smiles more. If anyone could protect Hermione, help her protect herself, it is you. I want to you teach Hermione as you did before. I want you to protect her where I cannot." Alistar had a serious look on his face.

"I will not train her again." Severus stated. He really wanted to grant anything Alistar asked for, but this he would not do.

Alistar stared at Severus for a moment. "I am not Albus Dumbledore. I have no ulterior motive in asking you to do this except to keep Hermione safe. You would not have to let Albus know that you were doing this. Actually, I would insist that you do not let him know. I would make sure he did not find out."

Severus closed his eyes for a minute. When he opened them, his eyes were determined. "And what would I get in return?"

"The protection of Hogwarts." Alistar paused a moment. "And I'll stop trying to make a fool out of you."

(o)

Allore Nightshadow


End file.
